Wales vs England Tactical Analysis: Craig Bellamy's Fresh Style Unpacked
Wales have changed their approach of play with Craig Bellamy.
By comparing Robert Page’s final 12 games as coach with Craig Bellamy's opening 12 leading Wales, a noticeable shift is a new approach to focus more on possession and dominating games with the ball.
The Page Era: Aggressive Football
During Page's tenure, The Welsh high-energy approach was based on pressing aggressively without possession, mainly in wide areas, typically using a flexible 3-4-3 system for direct attacks.
Craig Bellamy's Fresh Approach
Craig Bellamy has only utilized a defensive line of four, encouraging his players to maintain possession and build attacks in a more prosaic manner.
Measurable Changes
The change in approach has resulted in a much greater ball control, a increased pass count and a slight reduction in how regularly they give the ball away in attacking areas.
Additionally, Wales displays a improved expected goals metric with Bellamy.
The Big Question
Will Bellamy's tactics give Wales a greater chance of beating England?
The new approach with the new coach signifies a significant departure from the old system.
- Higher possession rates
- Slower, methodical attacks
- Fewer losses in advanced areas
- Improved expected goals
