England vs Wales Tactical Breakdown: Bellamy's New Style Explained
Wales have altered their style of play with Bellamy.
Looking at the previous manager's last dozen matches as coach to Bellamy's opening 12 as Wales head coach, an obvious difference is a new approach to focus more on possession and dominating games with the ball.
Under Robert Page: High-Energy Football
Under Page, Wales' aggressive tactics was based on applying high pressure off the ball, mainly in wide areas, mostly employing a flexible 3-4-3 system to push forward aggressively.
Craig Bellamy's Different Style
Bellamy has so far exclusively used a back four, pushing the team to get on the ball and develop plays in a more prosaic manner.
Statistical Shifts
The new strategy has resulted in a far higher average possession rate, a increased pass count and a small decrease in how regularly they give the ball away in attacking areas.
Additionally, Wales displays a better xG statistics with Bellamy.
Main Talking Point
Do Bellamy's strategies offer Wales a better opportunity of beating England?
The tactical evolution since the change signifies a clear move away from the old system.
- Increased possession
- Slower, methodical attacks
- Fewer losses in advanced areas
- Enhanced scoring probability
