Rob Page took full responsibility for the selection calls which led to Kieffer Moore replacing Daniel James during Wales' 1-1 World Cup draw with the United States of America.
Wales' wastefulness in possession was proving costly in the opening 45 minutes and the USA took full advantage when Christian Pulisic threaded through for Tim Weah to slot beyond Wayne Hennessey.
Bournemouth frontman Moore was summoned from the bench for the second half, with Fulham loanee James making way, and made a telling impact as his hold-up play was pivotal in helping the Red Dragons advance up the pitch and retain possession.
Page revealed USA's press was different to how he envisaged, which ensured he had to make the substitution at the break at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
"I take responsibility for that," Page said post-match. "Nothing against Daniel James at all. The way they played in the past, I thought we could play through the middle and play beyond their front three when they press. They changed the press.
"We didn’t get any of the players on the ball and we were getting wave after wave of attack. He made a massive difference for us. Lessons have been learned from today. It was important we didn’t lose the game. The good thing we've got, if you look on the bench now, we've got Brennan [Johnson] playing in the Premier League, he came on and made an impact, Kieffer came on and made an impact. We have strength in depth, I can look over my shoulder to the bench and we've got players who can come on and have a real impact on games."
The draw means Wales remain firmly in the mix for a top two spot in Group B ahead of their remaining group-stage fixtures against Iran and England.
Bale led a speech in a post-match huddle with players and staff following the conclusion of the draw with Gregg Berhalter's side as Page's men go in search of victory against the Iranians on Friday.
The captain believes Wales' second-half showing in Qatar warranted a share of the spoils.
"The goal was exactly what we needed," said 33-year-old Bale, who moved level with Chris Gunter on 109 caps for his country. It didn't matter who scored it and it gave us a foothold to try and go and win it.
"I felt that we played very well in the second half, so personally, it was great to get the goal but like I said, the most important thing was that the team scored. In terms of the huddle after the game, it's something that we do, especially in major tournaments. We just need to keep the momentum going, recover and go again."
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