England vs Wales Tactical Analysis: Bellamy's Fresh Style Unpacked
The Welsh national team have adjusted their style of football with Bellamy.
Looking at Robert Page’s final 12 games as coach to Bellamy's opening 12 as Wales head coach, an obvious difference is a strategic change to focus more on possession and dominating games with the ball.
The Page Era: High-Energy Play
Under Page, Wales' intense style was based on pressing aggressively off the ball, especially in the wings, predominantly using a adaptable 3-4-3 setup for direct attacks.
Craig Bellamy's Different Style
The new coach has consistently employed a defensive line of four, urging the squad to get on the ball and develop plays with greater patience.
Measurable Changes
The new strategy has produced a much greater ball control, a higher tally of passes and a slight reduction in how frequently they lose possession high up the pitch.
Additionally, Wales displays a improved expected goals metric under Bellamy.
Main Talking Point
Do Bellamy's strategies provide Wales a improved likelihood of overcoming England?
The tactical evolution with the new coach represents a clear move away from Page's methods.
- Higher possession rates
- Deliberate offensive construction
- Less giveaways in attack
- Better xG numbers
