Three Lions Squad Depth Labelled 'Ridiculous' - Welsh Boss Bellamy
- Published
International friendly: Wales vs England
Venue: London's Wembley, London Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
Craig Bellamy says England's player pool is remarkable that matchmakers would not pair them with the Welsh team.
Bellamy's men face their neighbors in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday before their crucial qualifying match against the Belgians next Monday.
National team coach Tuchel has left the such as Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish out of his selection for the Wales friendly and their World Cup qualifier against the Latvian team.
"The English have a ridiculous team, like France," the coach remarked.
"They have a market valuation of 1.4 billion pounds, Wales' is 170 million. If you were a fight promoter, you would not put us together. It wouldn't be allowed."
He says making sure Wales can compete with the talented opponents is a "driving force".
The Wales head coach added: "We don't go off market prices, but the reality is they have more than a single lineup. They possess two, three, four and France and other nations have the same level. England have many great players and that's the honest truth."
"A defender went out injured the recently and there are 24 more to go! They have 60-odd players. I'd love us to be stacked like them."
The neighbouring countries most recently met at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when England ran out easy victors in a group match before Gareth Southgate's side made it to the quarter-finals.
Southgate's successor is Thomas Tuchel, a Champions League and world club winner at Chelsea who has won league championships in Ligue 1 and his home country.
The Welsh boss was formerly an coach at the Belgian side and Burnley to Vincent Kompany, who succeeded him at the German giants.
"He's an incredible manager - his record speak for themselves," he noted.
"I have a degree of insight because the club he left I know people who have joined. I get a glimpse there of his methods and it's very impressive. "
"His tactical detail is elite and I wanted to be facing that - see how you're going to adapt because he adapts too. I will get to learn from it. I aspire to reach such heights."
Wales Team Selection
Keepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds), Adam Davies (Sheffield Utd), King (Everton).
Backline: Cabango (Swansea City), Dasilva (Coventry City), Ben Davies (Spurs), Kpakio (Cardiff City), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff City), Chris Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Rodon (Leeds), Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfield: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds), Brooks (the Cherries), Jordan James (Leicester - on loan from Rennes), Josh Sheehan (Bolton), Thomas (Stoke), Harry Wilson (the Cottagers), Joel Colwill (Cardiff), R. Colwill (Cardiff).
Forwards: Broadhead (the Red Dragons), Liam Cullen (Swansea City), Harris (Oxford United), Koumas (Birmingham City - loaned by the Reds), Brennan Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff).
