It was a strong start to life as Wales manager for Craig Bellamy as they began their Nations League campaign with a home draw against Türkiye before a victory against Montenegro in Niksic.
There is an optimism brewing amongst The Red Wall following the first opportunity to experience the new Welsh identity and style of play.
Here is a look at five things we’ve learned in the opening two fixtures of Bellamy’s reign.
High press and aggressive from the front
There is a clear intent from this new look Wales set-up to press high and win the ball back as soon as possible. During the opening fixture against Türkiye there were multiple occasions where the front line triggered a press high in the Türkiye half, and over the course of the game they recovered the ball 41 times.
There was one particular occasion leading to Baris Alper Yilmaz being shown a red card after frustration over losing the ball. Despite failing to score they created plenty of chances with 15 shots, four big chances created and an Xg of 1.35.
There was more difficulty at times in Montenegro due to the condition of the pitch, but the intention to win the ball high and fast is what helped the fast start. It was a Wilson tackle that led to the opening goal before he unleashed a rocket himself that came after regaining the ball outside the Montenegro box.
Regular club football will benefit the squad
With the high energy that Bellamy wants during the 90 minutes, regular club football for the players will prove to be a huge benefit heading into international fixtures.
Amongst the players involved in the squad many have seen themselves make a switch at club level including the likes of Mark Harris who has seen a resurgence in his international career thanks to great club form with Oxford United.
One issue that remains a problem in terms of club minutes is the goalkeeper department, but there now seems to be a renewed competitiveness for the starting shirt between Danny Ward and Karl Darlow that could push them to make a switch in order to gain regular minutes.
Bellamy aims to keep possession and dominate games
Wales maintained more possession in both fixtures, with a high control of the ball in the home fixture against Turkyie with 67% possession and completing nearly double the amount of passes with 602. When you compare this to the 1-1 home draw against Türkiye ten months previously Wales only had 41% possession and completed 268 passes.
It was more difficult to maintain the ball in the heavy rain of Niksic but they finished with 51% possession and completed 79% of their attempted passes. This is positive signs for the future with the aim of dominating games and creating chances.
New roles for captain Aaron Ramsey and co
With a new manager comes a new system and fresh ideas on how to implement the players abilities. Leading up to the opening games Bellamy discussed how he doesn’t see formations but more shapes that will help to give his side the best chance at victory.
There was a bewildered excitement amongst fans waiting for the first starting squad to be announced, and as the game got underway it took time to work out how the new ‘shape’ would work. We saw captain Aaron Ramsey leading the line as he spearheaded the press and witnessed Connor Roberts and Neco Williams drifting into midfield in a style usually seen in a Pep Guardiola side.
Bellamy has stated that he believes its important to be able to adapt in different situations and against different opponents so we can expect to see different formations and combinations of players utilised as Bellamy looks to build the Welsh way.
This was already evident in these games as we saw the side flicker between multiple options both on and off the ball, and will be a benefit moving forward as they take on a range of opposition, something that had previously been lacking under previous management.
Hard earned first away victory in Montenegro
In wet and windy conditions Wales earned their first win away in Montenegro for the first time ever. After a flying start with two goals in as many minutes, they had to dig in as the hosts worked themselves back into the game.
They were under pressure as the game progressed but you could see the hard work ethic that Bellamy has asked for since joining the role. There is particular praise to Oli Cooper and Sorba Thomas who hassled the opposition in the aim of regaining possession and a great double save from Darlow before a big goal line clearance from skipper Ben Davies, something we’ve come to expect from the Spurs man.
Hard work won’t always win you games, but the effort shown by every player over the 180 minutes gives a good indication of what to expect going forward under the new regime.
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