Three Lions Squad Depth Called 'Ridiculous' - Welsh Manager Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: Wales vs England
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
Craig Bellamy says the English squad depth is remarkable that a boxing promoter would not pair them with his Wales side.
Bellamy's men face their neighbors in a non-competitive match at the national stadium on this Thursday before their important World Cup qualifier against Belgium next Monday.
National team coach Tuchel has omitted the such as Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish from his squad for the match against Wales and their World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
"England have a incredible team, like the French," the coach said.
"They have a market valuation of 1.4 billion pounds, ours is 170 million. If you were a boxing promoter, you would not put us together. It wouldn't be allowed."
He explains ensuring the Welsh team can face the talented opponents is a "key motivation".
Bellamy continued: "We don't go off values, but the reality is they don't just have a single lineup. They have two, three, four and France and others have the same level. England have loads of great players and that's a fact."
"A defender was ruled out injured the recently and there's only two dozen others to go! They've got 60-odd players. I wish us to be stacked similarly."
These two nations last faced each other at the 2022 tournament in the Middle East, when England emerged as easy victors in a group match before Gareth Southgate's side reached the quarter-finals.
The new manager is Tuchel, a Champions League and world club winner at the London club who has won domestic titles in France and his native Germany.
Bellamy was formerly an assistant at the Belgian side and Burnley to Kompany, who replaced him at the German giants.
"He's an incredible manager - his record is proven," he added.
"I have some sort of insight because the club he left I know people who have gone in there. I gain a glimpse there of how he works and it's remarkable. "
"His tactical detail is elite and I wanted to be up against that - see how we adjust because he will. I will get to learn from that. I aspire to get to such heights."
Welsh Team List
Goalkeepers: Darlow (Leeds United), Davies (Sheffield United), King (Everton).
Backline: Cabango (Swansea), Dasilva (Coventry City), B. Davies (Spurs), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff City), Chris Mepham (West Brom), Rodon (Leeds), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfielders: Ampadu (Leeds United), Brooks (the Cherries), J. James (Leicester City - on loan from Stade Rennais), Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Sorba Thomas (Stoke City), H. Wilson (the Cottagers), Joel Colwill (Cardiff), R. Colwill (Cardiff City).
Attackers: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Cullen (Swansea), Harris (Oxford), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham City - on loan from Liverpool), Johnson (Spurs), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), I. Davies (Cardiff).
