Craig Bellamy: Five things to expect from new Wales boss

According to Bellamy, football is not about systems, its about shapes.

But his overriding ambition for the Wales national team is to play on the “front foot”.

It’s fair to say much of Wales’ success from Euro 2016 onwards, has been built on keeping clean sheets and looking to Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey to provide match winning magic at the other end of the pitch.

There is no Bale now, though Ramsey – providing he can get himself fit after a 2023-24 campaign ruined by injury woes – is still there.

But Wales have to be more creative now, especially in attacking situations. Bale could conjure golden moments out of nothing; goals have been harder to come by since his retirement.

The main criticism of Rob Page’s tenure was his in-game management, sometimes failing to react quickly enough to rivals’ tactical tweaks in the heat of battle.

Bellamy will be expected to be better in that department. And that would involve being bold – just as he was as a player.

You would expect, too, Bellamy would make use of the players with whom he could be compared as a player.

Wales do not lack the pace, explosive qualities or guile which Bellamy had in abundance. Brennan Johnson, Daniel James, Harry Wilson and David Brooks should be right up his street.

Kieffer Moore is there, too, for a more direct option, which Bellamy will not ignore.