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craig bellamy emphasis on this wales Will not come as “tourists” for them wembley showdown with England,
Thursday’s ‘Battle of Britain’ friendly is set to be a David and Goliath affair, with England ranked fourth in the world and Wales 30th.
But Wales boss Bellamy has suggested the visitors will not defend deep against Thomas Tuchel’s side, saying they are guaranteed to “die a slow death” if their opponents do.
“We’re here to come and play,” Bellamy said at the pre-match Wembley press conference. “To play our brand of football.
“It’s tough circumstances at an incredible place like Wembley, but there’s excitement for us.
“We’re not here as tourists to enjoy this opportunity. We’re here to be the best versions of ourselves, and this gives you a chance to be excited as well as have fun.”
England head into the Wembley clash on seven points clear at the top of their World Cup qualifying group after thrashing Serbia 5-0 last month.
That comprehensive performance came after narrow 2-0 and 1-0 wins over Andorra, with the international ranked 174th in the world.
Asked whether England struggled to beat opponents with deep defence, Bellamy said: “I don’t think so. They probably didn’t get six, seven, eight, nine goals against Andorra, but they were in complete control.
“Did Serbia defend deep? He (Thomas Tuchel) only has a lot of games, he doesn’t have a lot of games.
“I honestly believe that if you play with this England team and defend deep you will die a slow death – and I am not included in that.
“Please I’m like, ‘Put me up against the wall and get it over with right now. So don’t put me in that situation.’
Bellamy sees Wales’ Wembley assignment as ideal preparation for Monday’s World Cup qualifier against Belgium in Cardiff.
Wales must win that match to have any chance of finishing top of their group and securing automatic qualification for next summer’s finals.
“We will be able to learn a lot from this game in preparation for the Belgium match,” Bellamy said. “It’s beneficial for who we’re going to face on Monday.”
captain ben davis Wins his 99th Wales cap at Wembley and makes his fourth appearance against England.
Davies has faced defeat against England three times – a Euro 2016 group game, a 2020 Wembley friendly and a 2022 World Cup clash – and concedes the last meeting in Qatar comes three years later.
“I don’t think that’s our motivation going into this game, but if I look at that game we certainly weren’t the best,” Davies said of the 3–0 defeat that confirmed Wales’ exit from the World Cup.
“This is a game where I felt disappointed when I left the field, not just because of the result, but because we didn’t really show why we got to a major tournament.
“There is confidence in the group that we will be able to perform better than last time.”