Wales vs England Tactical Analysis: Craig Bellamy's New Style Unpacked

By comparing Robert Page’s last dozen matches as coach to Craig Bellamy's opening 12 as Wales head coach, an obvious difference has been a strategic change to focus more on ball control and dominating games through possession.

The Page Era: High-Energy Play

Under Page, The Welsh aggressive tactics centered around pressing intensely off the ball, mainly in the flanks, mostly employing a flexible 3-4-3 system to push forward aggressively.

Craig Bellamy's Different Style

Craig Bellamy has so far exclusively used a four-man defense, pushing the team to hold the ball and develop plays more methodically.

Statistical Changes

This tactical shift has resulted in a significantly increased amount of possession, a higher tally of passes and a slight reduction in how often they turn the ball over in attacking areas.

Additionally, Wales displays a improved expected goals metric since Bellamy took over.

The Big Question

Do Bellamy's strategies provide Wales a greater chance of beating England?

The strategic changes with the new coach represents a significant departure from Page's methods.

• Increased possession
• Deliberate offensive construction
• Fewer losses in advanced areas
• Better xG numbers