FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

[the other bob wilson]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

I'm not really sure what people expect from this Wales squad. It doesn't contain a Gareth Bale, or anyone even close to his level. The only strikers currently available are Championship level at best, and one of them has managed just one goal in 2025. The midfielders are ordinary on a good day and the defence is far from great.

Perhaps different tactics would yield slightly better results, but that's doubtful. The current squad just isn't very good. In my opinion, it's not much more complicated than that.

Northern Ireland, a team without anyone remiotely like a Gareth Bale gave Germany a much tougher time o9f it than Wales gave Belgium last night - what odds Wales now bein g the worst of the four home nations?

[the other bob wilson]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

Bellamy’s Wales in crisis?

Wales have conceded fifteen goals in their last three competitive games with Belgium.

https://mauveandyellowarmy.net

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

Northern Ireland, a team without anyone remotely like a Gareth Bale gave Germany a much tougher time of it than Wales gave Belgium last night - what odds Wales now being the worst of the four home nations?

Swings and roundabouts. They lost. They're third in their group. So did Wales. And so are Wales.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

I'm not really sure what people expect from this Wales squad. It doesn't contain a Gareth Bale, or anyone even close to his level. The only strikers currently available are Championship level at best, and one of them has managed just one goal in 2025. The midfielders are ordinary on a good day and the defence is far from great.

Perhaps different tactics would yield slightly better results, but that's doubtful. The current squad just isn't very good. In my opinion, it's not much more complicated than that.

Keepers bang average too, Trott would have probably saved the last one at least with his foot.

They gave it a go, but it is a weak squad. Wilson is decent, but we need another ten at that level.

[dandywarhol]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

As soon as Keiffer came on we scored.Harris just runs around.Belgium's one fraility was high balls into the box.I really don' know what Bellemy's game plan was.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

He has always spoken with his heat on his sleeve, but I defo reckon hes had some kind of media training to try and reinvent himself. The softly slower speaking, the smiles, its trying to get away from his aggressive image as a player. Even in podcatss hes done where hes talking about his life in general or days as a footballer rather than as a coach / manager disecting the game hes been doing the same and its starting to get a bit nauseating tbh. I feel he is putting a bit of a mask on and it will slip soon enough if the media piut enough pressure on him.

I thought he was an excellent pundit when he first went onto Sky, I thought I could listen to him talk about football all day, but recently hes really starting to grind my gears.

Agree with most of that. Bellamy is still a very capable pundit, and considering the squad he has to work with, he’s doing a reasonable job, although as many have said, I don't think Mark Harris should start either.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

Swings and roundabouts. They lost. They're third in their group. So did Wales. And so are Wales.

Wales are combining amateurish off field decisions that are not making it any easier to achieve their playing targets with very a naive defensive approach when they take on sides ranked higher than them.

[J R Hartley]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

Wales are combining amateurish off field decisions that are not making it any easier to achieve their playing targets with very a naive defensive approach when they take on sides ranked higher than them.

You can disagree with the tactics but calling Bellamy "amateurish" is absurd. Even those who criticise his personality say how professional he was / is and praise him for the standards he sets and demands, both as a player and a coach.

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

Wales are combining amateurish off field decisions that are not making it any easier to achieve their playing targets with very a naive defensive approach when they take on sides ranked higher than them.

To a degree, I can understand what you've said about the England friendly, but why was Canada a problem?

[Pearcey3]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

Wales are combining amateurish off field decisions that are not making it any easier to achieve their playing targets with very a naive defensive approach when they take on sides ranked higher than them.

Yep this is my view. We are not going to outscore the better sides when we leave ourselves so wide open.
I do think that first pen was a huge momentum swing though as we started so well and Belgium hadn't had a look in

[the other bob wilson]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

You can disagree with the tactics but calling Bellamy "amateurish" is absurd. Even those who criticise his personality say how professional he was / is and praise him for the standards he sets and demands, both as a player and a coach.

I didn’t call Bellamy amateurish, he had nothing to do with the decision which saw us unable to field the under 21 team we wanted to for a game which decided whether we could proceed further in the under 21 Euros. Also, although I may be wrong here, i don’t see him having a leading role in selecting Canada and England as friendly opponents when we’re going to be in the toughest group for the next Europa League - I think it’s naive in the extreme to select friendly opposition that was likely to make our route through the Play Offs tougher than it needed to have been.

[J R Hartley]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

I didn’t call Bellamy amateurish, he had nothing to do with the decision which saw us unable to field the under 21 team we wanted to for a game which decided whether we could proceed further in the under 21 Euros. Also, although I may be wrong here, i don’t see him having a leading role in selecting Canada and England as friendly opponents when we’re going to be in the toughest group for the next Europa League - I think it’s naive in the extreme to select friendly opposition that was likely to make our route through the Play Offs tougher than it needed to have been.

So now youre calling Bellamy a liar? He said he wanted the England game and also the thinking behind the England friendly was we didnt need to travel far and back before the more important game on Monday.

As for the under 21s, if Bellamy decides its more important for them to be with the seniors then thats his call as the national manager.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

So now youre calling Bellamy a liar? He said he wanted the England game and also the thinking behind the England friendly was we didnt need to travel far and back before the more important game on Monday.

As for the under 21s, if Bellamy decides its more important for them to be with the seniors then thats his call as the national manager.

You’ve totally got the wrong end of the stick about the under 21s, they were unable to pick their best team because of an administrative error. Bellamy’s hardly going to say he didn’t want the England game is he? All I’m saying is that my guess is that it was a decision which had more to do with the money men than him.

[J R Hartley]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

You’ve totally got the wrong end of the stick about the under 21s, they were unable to pick their best team because of an administrative error. Bellamy’s hardly going to say he didn’t want the England game is he? All I’m saying is that my guess is that it was a decision which had more to do with the money men than him.

Fair enough on the under 21s, ive misunderstood, but the whole purpose of age group football is to develop players for the senior squad. Is it really that important we didnt get further? Hes already picked the best crop of under 21s and promoted them to the senior squad. Neco Williams, for example, never got capped at under 21 level. For a nation with a pool of players as small as ours the best youngsters have to get promoted to the seniors earlier than the bigger countries and usually skip the 21s.

Im still not buying into the England friendly being about money though. its not like it was at home and we cashed in at the Principality Stadium. I think the reasoning that it saved travellling further afield before such an important game a fair and valid one.

[Wales-Bales]

Re: FT: WALES 2 - 4 BELGIUM. Match thread

Fair enough on the under 21s, ive misunderstood, but the whole purpose of age group football is to develop players for the senior squad. Is it really that important we didnt get further? Hes already picked the best crop of under 21s and promoted them to the senior squad. Neco Williams, for example, never got capped at under 21 level. For a nation with a pool of players as small as ours the best youngsters have to get promoted to the seniors earlier than the bigger countries and usually skip the 21s.

Im still not buying into the England friendly being about money though. its not like it was at home and we cashed in at the Principality Stadium. I think the reasoning that it saved travelling further afield before such an important game a fair and valid one.

You could also say we started well compared to the England and previous Belgium game, so that could have vindicated the choice of opponents, but it wasn't sustainable and we soon reverted to type. I think he has to look at the system he is using and take into account the overall ability ability of the squad.