Former Wales international Robbie Savage has again blasted the state of Welsh football, saying it has "gone a long way backwards" under current boss John Toshack.

Wales' hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008 were effectively ended with a 2-0 defeat to Germany at Saturday - a match watched by just 25,000 spectators at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff - and it appears their wait to compete on the world stage will continue.

The last time Wales made it to a major tournament was the World Cup back in 1958, but Savage cannot imagine his country ending that wait under the current managerial regime.

He told the Daily Mirror: "John Toshack told us to judge him after the European qualifying games. The truth is we have gone a long way backwards.

"I do hope he doesn't start the 'we'll make it to South Africa' stuff because that would be utterly ridiculous and we all know it."

He added: "There's more chance of me flying Concorde to the moon blindfolded than there is of you taking Wales to the South African World Cup.

"It's not going to happen and as a Wales fan I'm as dejected as the rest of the nation. Only 25,000 turned up for a qualifier against one of the world's best teams - that tells you everything.

"Just a few years ago under Mark Hughes we beat Germany in a friendly at the Millennium Stadium in front of 75,000 - that tells you how far we've sunk."

Savage has not played for his country since 2005, when he openly criticised the appointment of Toshack, and he realises that his international career is effectively over.

"My own career is over - there would never be any chance of me coming back whatever the circumstances so this is not about having a pop for the sake of it," he said.

"I think the time has come to make a change at the top and Chris Coleman has to be a candidate.

"He did well at Fulham and is a young man with ideas. We need that because we can't go on as we are."

Eurosport