England vs Wales Strategic Breakdown: Craig Bellamy's Fresh Style Explained
The Welsh national team have changed their style of football with Craig Bellamy.
Looking at Robert Page’s last dozen matches in charge with Bellamy's first 12 games leading Wales, an obvious difference has been a new approach to focus more on possession and controlling matches through possession.
The Page Era: High-Energy Football
During Page's tenure, The Welsh high-energy approach focused on applying high pressure without possession, particularly in wide areas, predominantly using a adaptable 3-4-3 setup to attack directly.
Bellamy's Fresh Approach
The new coach has so far exclusively used a defensive line of four, pushing the team to hold the ball and construct offensive moves more methodically.
Measurable Changes
The new strategy has led to a much greater ball control, a more completed passes and a small decrease in how often they turn the ball over in advanced positions.
The team also shows a higher expected goals tally with Bellamy.
Key Consideration
Can Bellamy's approach provide Wales a improved likelihood of defeating England?
The new approach under Bellamy demonstrates a notable shift from the previous regime.
- Increased possession
- More patient build-up
- Fewer losses in advanced areas
- Enhanced scoring probability
