Three Lions Team Strength Called 'Absurd' - Welsh Manager Craig Bellamy
- Published
International friendly: Wales vs England
Venue: Wembley Stadium, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
Craig Bellamy says England's player pool is remarkable that matchmakers would not match them against his Wales side.
Bellamy's men face England in a non-competitive match at Wembley on this Thursday before their crucial qualifying match against Belgium next Monday.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has left the such as Bellingham, Foden and Jack Grealish out of his squad for the match against Wales and their qualifying game against the Latvian team.
"The English have a incredible squad, like the French," the coach said.
"They have a market valuation of 1.4 billion pounds, ours is £170m. Were you a fight promoter, you wouldn't match us up. That wouldn't be permitted."
Bellamy explains ensuring Wales can face the star-studded rivals is a "driving force".
Bellamy continued: "We do not rely on values, but the reality is England don't just have a single lineup. They possess two, three, four and France and other nations have the same level. England have loads of great players and that's a fact."
"A defender went out injured the other day and there's only 24 more to go! They've got over sixty footballers. I wish Wales to be well-equipped like them."
The neighbouring countries most recently met at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when the English ran out comfortable victors in a fixture before the previous England team reached the quarter-finals.
The new manager is Tuchel, a Champions League and world club champion at the London club who has claimed domestic titles in Ligue 1 and his native Germany.
The Welsh boss was previously an assistant at Anderlecht and Burnley to Kompany, who succeeded Tuchel at the German giants.
"Tuchel's an outstanding manager - his record speak for themselves," he noted.
"I have a degree of insight because the club he left I know people who have gone in there. I get a bit of an insight there of his methods and it's very impressive. "
"His strategic planning is top level and I wanted to be up against such a challenge - see how you're going to adapt because he will. I can learn from that. I aspire to reach such heights."
Welsh Team Selection
Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds United), Davies (Sheffield Utd), Tom King (Everton).
Defenders: Cabango (Swansea City), Dasilva (Coventry), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Kpakio (Cardiff), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff), Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Rodon (Leeds), Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfielders: Ampadu (Leeds), Brooks (Bournemouth), J. James (Leicester - on loan from Rennes), Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Thomas (Stoke City), Harry Wilson (Fulham), J. Colwill (Cardiff City), R. Colwill (Cardiff).
Forwards: Broadhead (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea City), Harris (Oxford United), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham City - loaned by Liverpool), Brennan Johnson (Spurs), Moore (Wrexham), I. Davies (Cardiff).
