England vs Wales Tactical Breakdown: Craig Bellamy's Fresh Approach Explained
Wales have altered their style of football under Craig Bellamy.
Looking at Robert Page’s final 12 games in charge to Craig Bellamy's first 12 games as Wales head coach, an obvious difference is a strategic change to focus more on possession and controlling matches with the ball.
The Page Era: Aggressive Football
Under Page, The Welsh aggressive tactics centered around pressing intensely off the ball, mainly in wide areas, mostly employing a adaptable 3-4-3 setup to push forward aggressively.
Craig Bellamy's New Direction
Bellamy 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 resulted in a far higher average possession rate, a higher tally of passes and a slight reduction in how frequently they lose possession in attacking areas.
Additionally, Wales displays a higher expected goals tally under Bellamy.
The Big Question
Can Bellamy's approach offer Wales a better opportunity of defeating England?
The new approach with the new coach represents a notable shift from Page's methods.
- Higher possession rates
- Deliberate offensive construction
- Less giveaways in attack
- Enhanced scoring probability
