Three Lions Team Strength Called 'Absurd' - Welsh Manager Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: Wales vs England
Venue: Wembley Stadium, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Craig Bellamy states the English squad depth is remarkable that a boxing promoter would not match them with his Wales side.
The Welsh squad face their neighbors in a friendly at the national stadium on Thursday before their important World Cup qualifier against Belgium next the following week.
National team coach Thomas Tuchel has left the such as Bellingham, 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 squad, similar to France," Bellamy remarked.
"They have a market valuation of 1.4 billion pounds, Wales' is £170m. Were you a boxing promoter, you would not put us together. It wouldn't be allowed."
Bellamy says ensuring the Welsh team can face the talented rivals is a "key motivation".
The Wales head coach continued: "We do not rely on market prices, but the simple fact is they don't just have a single lineup. They possess two, three, four and France and others have the same level. They have many great players and that's the honest truth."
"A defender was ruled out with injury the recently and there are two dozen others to choose from! They've got 60-odd players. I'd love us to be well-equipped similarly."
These two nations last faced each other at the 2022 tournament in the Middle East, when the English ran out comfortable victors in a group match before Gareth Southgate's side reached the last eight.
Southgate's successor is Tuchel, a Champions League and Fifa Club World Cup winner at Chelsea who has claimed league championships in France and his native Germany.
Bellamy was previously an assistant at the Belgian side and the English club to Vincent Kompany, who replaced him at the German giants.
"Tuchel's an incredible coach - his record is proven," Bellamy noted.
"I possess a degree of insight because the team he departed I know individuals who have gone in there. I get a glimpse from that of his methods and it's remarkable. "
"His strategic planning is elite and I aimed to be up against such a challenge - observe how you're going to adapt because he adapts too. I can learn from that. I aspire to reach that level."
Welsh Team List
Keepers: Darlow (Leeds United), Davies (Sheffield Utd), King (Everton).
Defenders: Cabango (Swansea City), Dasilva (Coventry City), B. Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Kpakio (Cardiff), Lawlor (Cardiff City), Mepham (West Brom), Rodon (Leeds), Williams (Forest).
Midfield: Ampadu (Leeds), Brooks (Bournemouth), Jordan James (Leicester City - on loan from Rennes), Sheehan (Bolton), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), Harry Wilson (Fulham), J. Colwill (Cardiff City), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff).
Forwards: Nathan Broadhead (the Red Dragons), Cullen (Swansea City), Harris (Oxford), Koumas (Birmingham - on loan from Liverpool), Brennan Johnson (Spurs), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff City).
