England vs Wales Strategic Breakdown: Bellamy's Fresh Approach Unpacked
Wales have altered their method of football with Craig Bellamy.
By comparing the previous manager's last dozen matches as coach with Bellamy's first 12 games leading Wales, one clear change has been a strategic change prioritizing possession and controlling matches through possession.
The Page Era: High-Energy Football
During Page's tenure, Wales' aggressive tactics centered around pressing aggressively off the ball, especially in wide areas, typically using a fluid 3-4-3 formation to attack directly.
Craig Bellamy's Different Style
The new coach has so far exclusively used a defensive line of four, pushing the team to maintain possession and build attacks more methodically.
Statistical Differences
This tactical shift has resulted in a much greater possession rate, a more completed passes and a modest drop in how regularly they give the ball away high up the pitch.
Wales also boast a improved expected goals metric under Bellamy.
Main Talking Point
Do Bellamy's strategies offer Wales a greater chance of beating England?
The tactical evolution with the new coach demonstrates a clear move away from Page's methods.
- More ball control
- Deliberate offensive construction
- Less giveaways in attack
- Better xG numbers
