Craig Bellamy wants an ‘identity’ for the team, but the main goal is the same – to qualify for major tournaments and be in the World Cup and Euros party, writes Geraint Hughes.
So the long-term plan to reach the World Cup in 2026 and also to be the ‘home’ Euros in 2028 is not unlike the realistic aspirations of previous Wales managers.
Rob Page, Ryan Giggs and Chris Coleman all played in Wales’ qualifiers for Euro 2016 and 2020, and the 2022 World Cup. With a talented group of players, yes, including Gareth Bale, and the structure and investment behind the scenes from the FAW, that goal is possible done.
This is the reason why Wales failed to qualify for this summer’s Euros in Germany so badly. Wales qualified and although it was a penalty kick from the June soiree with France and the Netherlands, they did not make it.
It feels unusual not unlucky. In the end, it also cost Rob Page the manager of the men’s senior team.
So Craig Bellamy’s long-term ambitions and instructions from the FAW hierarchy have not changed – Wales don’t just want to be at the World Cup and the Euros, they expect it.
Craig Bellamy feels differently. Don’t get me wrong, all managers, coaches are not identical, far from it, but Bellamy really feels very different. Forget any preconceived ideas of him as a player, this is Bellamy manager, coach.
Wales’ journey to a future World Cup or Euro will have a unique flavor on and off the pitch and begins at home to Turkey in Cardiff on Friday night in the Nations League.
While the goal of qualifying for a major tournament is not a new target, the way Bellamy and ‘his’ Wales team are is a new era. There was talk of intensity about the way Wales were going to play, and in the short time I was able to watch and take in everything Bellamy said, it was a very visible element of how Bellamy wanted to coach and prepare his players.
In footballing terms, Bellamy wants his players to have body language that tells passionate Welsh fans that they bleed and cry for their country. That should not be a difficult question as this group of players have made it clear that they love playing for their country.
So for Bellamy this was a perfect fit. He will also demand more, don’t expect the Wales players to stand on their hands or arms, which simply will not be acceptable to Bellamy. They want him to focus on where the ball is, where he needs to be and where the next pass can come from where the next defensive phase can emerge.
Expect a team that pushes high up the pitch that wants to win the ball as fast as a human being, and also expect a team that plays fast – whether that’s on the counter attack, or that means moving the ball forward. fast. It’s about attacking the opposition at every opportunity and not wasting those opportunities.
It is also obvious that outside the field there is a difference in Bellamy in training sessions. Bellamy is actively involved whether it is a quick tap on the player’s shoulder to have a 10-second chat with them or whether he takes part in the warm-up exercise, it is very hands-on the coach.
And the players also recognize this and are very happy to talk about team meetings longer than before and there are a lot of details to go through, but there is an understanding of why. Bellamy wants to play in a different style and requires the involvement and involvement of the players, so there will be a lot of details that Bellamy teaches his new team.
It is certainly seen from the first week that the players and Bellamy are enjoying this new relationship, this is the start of a new era for Wales.