Wales vs England Strategic Breakdown: Craig Bellamy's New Approach Unpacked

By comparing the previous manager's last dozen matches as coach to Craig Bellamy's opening 12 as Wales head coach, a noticeable shift is a tactical switch prioritizing ball control and controlling matches through possession.

Under Robert Page: Aggressive Football

During Page's tenure, Wales' intense style centered around pressing aggressively without possession, mainly in the flanks, predominantly using a fluid 3-4-3 formation for direct attacks.

Bellamy's Different Style

The new coach has so far exclusively used a defensive line of four, pushing the team to maintain possession and develop plays more methodically.

Measurable Shifts

The change in approach has produced a much greater possession rate, a increased pass count and a modest drop in how often they turn the ball over in advanced positions.

Additionally, Wales displays a improved expected goals metric with Bellamy.

Main Talking Point

Will Bellamy's tactics give Wales a better opportunity of beating England?

The new approach since the change demonstrates a significant departure from the old system.

• Higher possession rates
• Slower, methodical attacks
• Less giveaways in attack
• Better xG numbers