Three Lions Squad Strength Called 'Ridiculous' - Welsh Manager Craig Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: England v Wales
Venue: Wembley Stadium, the capital Date: October 9th Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Craig Bellamy says England's squad depth is remarkable that matchmakers would not match them with the Welsh team.
Bellamy's men meet their neighbors in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday before their important qualifying match against Belgium next Monday.
England manager Tuchel has omitted the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Grealish from his squad for the match against Wales and their World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
"The English have a ridiculous team, like the French," Bellamy remarked.
"They have a market valuation of £1.4bn, Wales' is £170m. If you were a fight promoter, you wouldn't put us together. That wouldn't be permitted."
Bellamy explains making sure the Welsh team can compete with the talented opponents is a "key motivation".
The Wales head coach added: "Our team do not rely on values, but the reality is England don't just have a single lineup. They possess multiple and the French and other nations are similarly stacked. England have loads of top talents and that's a fact."
"One right-back was ruled out injured the recently and there's only two dozen others to go! They've got over sixty players. I wish us to be stacked similarly."
The neighbouring countries most recently met at the 2022 tournament in the Middle East, when England ran out comfortable victors in a group match before Gareth Southgate's side reached the last eight.
Southgate's successor is Thomas Tuchel, a European and Fifa Club World Cup champion at the London club who has claimed domestic titles in Ligue 1 and his native Germany.
Bellamy was previously an coach at Anderlecht and the English club to Vincent Kompany, who replaced him at Bayern Munich.
"Tuchel's an incredible manager - his record is proven," Bellamy added.
"I possess a degree of insight because the club he left I am familiar with individuals who have gone in there. I get a glimpse from that of how he works and it's remarkable. "
"His strategic planning is elite and I aimed to be facing that - see how we adjust because he will. I will get to learn from it. I aspire to get to such heights."
Wales Team List
Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds), Davies (Sheffield Utd), Tom King (Everton).
Backline: Cabango (Swansea), Jay Dasilva (Coventry City), B. Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Kpakio (Cardiff), Lawlor (Cardiff City), Mepham (West Brom), Rodon (Leeds United), Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfielders: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United), Brooks (the Cherries), Jordan James (Leicester - on loan from Stade Rennais), Josh Sheehan (Bolton), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), H. Wilson (the Cottagers), J. Colwill (Cardiff City), R. Colwill (Cardiff).
Forwards: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Cullen (Swansea), Mark Harris (Oxford), Koumas (Birmingham City - on loan from the Reds), Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff City).
