Three Lions Team Strength Labelled 'Ridiculous' - Wales Boss Craig Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: Wales vs England
Venue: London's Wembley, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
The Wales head coach states the English squad depth is remarkable that matchmakers would not match them against his Wales side.
Bellamy's men face their neighbors in a friendly at the national stadium on Thursday before their crucial World Cup qualifier against Belgium next the following week.
National team coach Tuchel has omitted the such as Bellingham, Foden and Grealish from his selection for the Wales friendly and their World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
"The English have a ridiculous team, like France," Bellamy remarked.
"England have a market valuation of 1.4 billion pounds, ours is £170m. If you were a boxing promoter, you wouldn't put us together. That wouldn't be permitted."
He explains ensuring Wales can face the star-studded rivals is a "driving force".
Bellamy continued: "We do not rely on values, but the simple fact is England don't just have a single lineup. They have two, three, four and France and others have the same level. They have loads of top talents and that's the honest truth."
"One right-back was ruled out with injury the recently and there's only two dozen others to go! They've got 60-odd players. I'd love Wales to be well-equipped similarly."
These two nations most recently met at the 2022 World Cup in the Middle East, when the English ran out easy victors in a fixture before Gareth Southgate's side reached the quarter-finals.
The new manager is Thomas Tuchel, a Champions League and world club winner at Chelsea who has claimed league championships in France and his home country.
The Welsh boss was previously an assistant at Anderlecht and Burnley to Vincent Kompany, who succeeded Tuchel at the German giants.
"Tuchel's an outstanding coach - his achievements speak for themselves," Bellamy added.
"I possess some sort of insight because the club he left I know people who have joined. I get a glimpse there of how he works and it's very impressive. "
"His strategic planning is elite and I aimed to be facing such a challenge - observe how we adjust because he will. I will get to learn from that. I aspire to reach such heights."
Wales Team Selection
Keepers: Darlow (Leeds United), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), King (Everton).
Backline: Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Dasilva (Coventry), B. Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Kpakio (Cardiff City), Lawlor (Cardiff), Mepham (West Brom), Joe Rodon (Leeds), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfield: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds), Brooks (the Cherries), J. James (Leicester City - loaned by Stade Rennais), Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), Harry Wilson (Fulham), Joel Colwill (Cardiff), R. Colwill (Cardiff).
Attackers: Nathan Broadhead (the Red Dragons), Cullen (Swansea City), Harris (Oxford), Koumas (Birmingham - on loan from Liverpool), Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Moore (Wrexham), I. Davies (Cardiff).
