Three Lions Team Depth Labelled 'Ridiculous' - Welsh Manager Bellamy
- Published
International friendly: Wales vs England
Venue: Wembley Stadium, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST
The Wales head coach states the English player pool is so impressive that matchmakers wouldn't pair them with his Wales side.
Bellamy's men meet England in a non-competitive match at the national stadium on this Thursday before their crucial qualifying match against the Belgians next Monday.
National team coach Thomas Tuchel has omitted the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish from his selection for the match against Wales and their qualifying game against Latvia.
"The English have a ridiculous team, similar to the French," the coach said.
"England have a transfer market value of 1.4 billion pounds, ours is £170m. Were you a boxing promoter, you would not put us together. It wouldn't be allowed."
He says making sure Wales can face the star-studded rivals is a "driving force".
The Wales head coach continued: "Our team don't go off values, but the simple fact is they don't just have a single lineup. They have multiple and the French and others have the same level. England have loads of top talents and that's the honest truth."
"One right-back was ruled out injured the recently and there's only 24 more to go! They've got 60-odd footballers. I'd love Wales to be stacked similarly."
These two nations most recently met at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, when England emerged as comfortable 3-0 winners in a fixture before the previous England team made it to the quarter-finals.
The new manager is Thomas Tuchel, a Champions League and Fifa Club World Cup winner at the London club who has won league championships in France and his native Germany.
Bellamy was previously an assistant at Anderlecht and Burnley to Vincent Kompany, who succeeded him at Bayern Munich.
"He's an outstanding manager - his record speak for themselves," Bellamy noted.
"I have some sort of insight because the club he left I am familiar with people who have gone in there. I gain a bit of an insight there of his methods and it's very impressive. "
"His tactical detail is top level and I aimed to be up against such a challenge - observe how we adjust because he adapts too. I will get to learn from it. I'd love to reach that level."
Welsh Team List
Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds), Davies (Sheffield United), Tom King (the Toffees).
Backline: Ben Cabango (Swansea), Dasilva (Coventry), B. Davies (Spurs), Kpakio (Cardiff), Lawlor (Cardiff City), Chris Mepham (West Brom), Joe Rodon (Leeds United), Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfield: Ampadu (Leeds), Brooks (Bournemouth), Jordan James (Leicester City - on loan from Rennes), Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Thomas (Stoke City), Harry Wilson (the Cottagers), J. Colwill (Cardiff City), R. Colwill (Cardiff).
Attackers: Nathan Broadhead (the Red Dragons), Liam Cullen (Swansea City), Harris (Oxford), Koumas (Birmingham - loaned by Liverpool), Johnson (Spurs), Moore (Wrexham), I. Davies (Cardiff City).
