Craig Bellamy praised Wales for an “outstanding” display as they started his reign with a Nations League draw against Turkey, and said there is much more to come from his team.
Bellamy’s adventurous new playing style was evident as Wales sparkled against the Euro 2024 quarter-finalists in Cardiff on Friday, even if they were unable to turn their dominance into victory.
The former Wales captain only had four days to prepare his players for the match and was encouraged by what he saw before their next game in Montenegro on Monday.
“[The players were] outstanding. We’ve had a lot of work this week. There have been a lot of meetings and I am always conscious of a load of information going into the players in a short space of time,” said Bellamy.
“But they were great this week and that gives you confidence. Believe me, this is the worst we are going to be. The more we learn, the more we spend together, the finer details.
“It’s such a good start, but there’s way more to come from this team.
“I am not a master at this after one game, trust me. But I enjoyed it. It was a great country to play against in your first game and I am really happy.”
Bellamy had promised a boldly different playing style and a clear identity, and that was crystal clear against Turkey despite having only worked with his players since Monday.
Squad members had spoken glowingly before the game about their new head coach’s intense and meticulous methods, both on the training pitch and during analysis sessions.
The players carried out Bellamy’s instructions impressively, pressing Turkey energetically off the ball and demonstrating a new attacking ambition in possession, fluidly swapping positions and pouring forward at every opportunity.
“I’m beyond [pleased]. You never know. As much as I planned for all scenarios, the worst scenarios, you name it, this game has probably taught me over the years of playing and coaching to be prepared for whatever happens on the pitch,” Bellamy added.
“I had a lot of time to look at Turkey, identify where I thought there were strengths and weaknesses then feed that information to the players. There’s a bit of fine tuning we need to do.
“They’re a top team with a top coach, they adapted. Maybe we could have adapted a little quicker when they changed, but that’s understandable. It was great.”
Meanwhile, striker Kieffer Moore will have a head injury assessed before Wales face Montenegro.
Moore came on as a second-half substitute against Turkey and sustained a cut to his head after Caglar Soyuncu accidentally caught him with his studs.
“He was having stitches. Quick turnaround Monday, there will be changes,” said Bellamy.
“We will adapt. A game against Turkey is different to Montenegro so we will tweak a bit how we approach that game, because you approach every game differently.”
