England vs Wales Tactical Analysis: Craig Bellamy's Fresh Style Unpacked
The Welsh national team have altered their style of play with their new coach.
Looking at the previous manager's final 12 games in charge to Bellamy's first 12 games as Wales head coach, an obvious difference has been a strategic change emphasizing possession and controlling matches with the ball.
The Page Era: High-Energy Play
Under Page, Wales' aggressive tactics was based on pressing aggressively without possession, especially in wide areas, predominantly using a adaptable 3-4-3 setup to attack directly.
Craig Bellamy's Fresh Approach
Craig Bellamy has so far exclusively used a four-man defense, pushing the team to hold the ball and build attacks in a more prosaic manner.
Measurable Changes
The new strategy has produced a significantly increased ball control, a increased pass count and a small decrease in how regularly they give the ball away in attacking areas.
Additionally, Wales displays a higher expected goals tally under Bellamy.
Main Talking Point
Can Bellamy's approach offer Wales a better opportunity of defeating England?
The strategic changes with the new coach demonstrates a notable shift away from Page's methods.
- Increased possession
- Deliberate offensive construction
- Reduced high turnovers
- Enhanced scoring probability
