Three Lions Squad Depth Labelled 'Absurd' - Wales Manager Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: England v Wales
Venue: Wembley Stadium, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST
The Wales head coach says England's player pool is remarkable that matchmakers wouldn't pair them with his Wales side.
Bellamy's men face their neighbors in a friendly at the national stadium on this Thursday before their crucial qualifying match against Belgium next the following week.
National team coach Tuchel has left the such as Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Grealish from his squad for the match against Wales and their qualifying game against Latvia.
"The English have a ridiculous team, similar to the French," the coach remarked.
"England have a market valuation of 1.4 billion pounds, Wales' is 170 million. If you were a boxing promoter, you wouldn't match us up. It wouldn't be allowed."
He explains making sure Wales can face the talented opponents is a "key motivation".
The Wales head coach continued: "Our team don't go off values, but the reality is England don't just have a single lineup. They possess two, three, four and the French and others have the same level. They have loads of top talents and that's the honest truth."
"A defender was ruled out with injury the recently and there are two dozen others to choose from! They have over sixty footballers. I wish Wales to be stacked similarly."
These two nations last faced each other at the 2022 tournament in the Middle East, when the English ran out comfortable victors in a fixture before Gareth Southgate's side reached the last eight.
The new manager is Thomas Tuchel, a Champions League and Fifa Club World Cup champion at the London club who has won league championships in France and his native Germany.
Bellamy was previously an coach at Anderlecht and Burnley to Vincent Kompany, who replaced him at the German giants.
"He's an outstanding manager - his achievements speak for themselves," Bellamy noted.
"I have a degree of insight because the team he departed I know people who have joined. I get a bit of an insight there of his methods and it's very impressive. "
"His tactical detail is elite and I wanted to be up against that - see how we adjust because he adapts too. I will get to learn from that. I'd love to get to such heights."
Wales Squad Selection
Goalkeepers: Darlow (Leeds United), Adam Davies (Sheffield Utd), Tom King (Everton).
Defenders: Cabango (Swansea City), Dasilva (Coventry City), B. Davies (Spurs), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff City), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff), Chris Mepham (West Brom), Joe Rodon (Leeds), Neco Williams (Forest).
Midfielders: Ampadu (Leeds United), Brooks (the Cherries), J. James (Leicester City - on loan from Rennes), Sheehan (Bolton), Thomas (Stoke), Harry Wilson (the Cottagers), Joel Colwill (Cardiff), R. Colwill (Cardiff).
Attackers: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea), Mark Harris (Oxford United), Koumas (Birmingham - on loan from Liverpool), Brennan Johnson (Spurs), Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff City).
