Three Lions Squad Depth Called 'Absurd' - Welsh Manager Craig Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: Wales vs England
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London Date: October 9th Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
Craig Bellamy states England's squad depth is remarkable that matchmakers wouldn't match them against the Welsh team.
Bellamy's men face their neighbors in a friendly at the national stadium on Thursday before their important qualifying match against the Belgians next Monday.
National team coach Thomas Tuchel has omitted the such as Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish out of his selection for the Wales friendly and their World Cup qualifier against the Latvian team.
"The English have a incredible team, similar to the French," Bellamy remarked.
"They have a transfer market value of £1.4bn, Wales' is £170m. Were you a fight promoter, you wouldn't match us up. It wouldn't be allowed."
He explains making sure the Welsh team can face the talented opponents is a "driving force".
Bellamy continued: "Our team don't go off market prices, but the simple fact is England have more than a single lineup. They have multiple and France and other nations have the same level. England have many top talents and that's the honest truth."
"One right-back was ruled out with injury the other day and there are two dozen others to go! They have over sixty footballers. I wish Wales to be stacked like them."
These two nations most recently met at the 2022 World Cup in the Middle East, when England emerged as comfortable victors in a fixture before Gareth Southgate's side reached the quarter-finals.
The new manager is Thomas Tuchel, a Champions League and Fifa Club World Cup champion at the London club who has won league championships in Ligue 1 and his home country.
The Welsh boss was previously an assistant at the Belgian side and the English club to Vincent Kompany, who replaced Tuchel at Bayern Munich.
"Tuchel's an outstanding coach - his record is proven," Bellamy added.
"I possess a degree of insight because the club he left I know people who have gone in there. I gain a glimpse from that of his methods and it's very impressive. "
"His strategic planning is top level and I aimed to be facing that - see how we adjust because he will. I will get to learn from it. I'd love to get to such heights."
Wales Squad List
Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds United), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), Tom King (Everton).
Backline: Cabango (Swansea), Jay Dasilva (Coventry City), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Kpakio (Cardiff), Lawlor (Cardiff City), Mepham (West Brom), Rodon (Leeds United), Williams (Forest).
Midfielders: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United), Brooks (the Cherries), J. James (Leicester - loaned by Stade Rennais), Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Thomas (Stoke), Harry Wilson (the Cottagers), J. Colwill (Cardiff), R. Colwill (Cardiff).
Attackers: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Cullen (Swansea), Mark Harris (Oxford United), Koumas (Birmingham City - on loan from the Reds), Brennan Johnson (Spurs), Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff).
