Three Lions Team Strength Called 'Absurd' - Wales Manager Craig Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: England v Wales
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
Craig Bellamy says the English squad depth is remarkable that matchmakers would not pair them against his Wales side.
Bellamy's men meet their neighbors in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday before their important qualifying match against the Belgians next the following week.
National team coach Thomas Tuchel has left the likes of Jude Bellingham, Foden and Jack Grealish from his selection for the Wales friendly and their qualifying game against the Latvian team.
"England have a ridiculous team, similar to the French," the coach said.
"They have a transfer market value of £1.4bn, ours is £170m. If you were a fight promoter, you wouldn't put us together. It wouldn't be allowed."
Bellamy explains making sure the Welsh team can compete with the star-studded rivals is a "driving force".
The Wales head coach continued: "We don't go off market prices, 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. They have loads of top talents and that's the honest truth."
"One right-back was ruled out injured the recently and there are two dozen others to go! They've got 60-odd players. I'd love Wales to be well-equipped similarly."
The neighbouring countries last faced each other at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when the English ran out comfortable victors in a fixture before the previous England team reached the last eight.
The new manager is Tuchel, a European and world club champion at Chelsea who has won league championships in Ligue 1 and his home country.
The Welsh boss was previously an assistant at the Belgian side and the English club to Kompany, who succeeded him at Bayern Munich.
"He's an incredible coach - his record is proven," Bellamy added.
"I have some sort of understanding because the club he left I know people who have joined. I get a glimpse there of his methods and it's very impressive. "
"His strategic planning is top level and I wanted to be up against that - observe how you're going to adapt because he will. I can learn from that. I'd love to get to that level."
Welsh Team List
Goalkeepers: Darlow (Leeds), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), King (Everton).
Backline: Ben Cabango (Swansea), Dasilva (Coventry City), B. Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff), Mepham (West Brom), Joe Rodon (Leeds United), Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfield: Ampadu (Leeds United), Brooks (the Cherries), J. James (Leicester - loaned by Stade Rennais), Sheehan (Bolton), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), Harry Wilson (the Cottagers), J. Colwill (Cardiff City), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City).
Attackers: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea City), Mark Harris (Oxford United), Koumas (Birmingham - loaned by Liverpool), Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff City).
