Craig Bellamy says he accepts that questions will be asked about Wales’ form as his side prepare to face Norway in the Nations League at Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday.
Wales are bottom of League A Group 4 after opening defeats in Portugal and Denmark. The loss in Denmark was a third successive defeat for Wales and extended their run to six games without a win, a sequence that stretches back to their heavy win over North Macedonia in World Cup qualifying last November. Bellamy’s side will complete a challenging international window by hosting Norway on Thursday and then Denmark on Sunday.
Asked whether it would be unfair to suggest Wales are under pressure to deliver results in those games given the calibre of the opposition, Bellamy did not shy away from it. “No, I don’t see it [as] unfair. I see it [as being] as it should be,” he said. “You don’t win and you lose a few games in a row, you should be asked questions. You’ll get some people who maybe will see it and understand a bit, but I don’t want anyone to understand. We should always demand and… I’m no different.”
This is comfortably the most difficult spell of Bellamy’s reign, which began with a nine-game unbeaten run and promotion from Nations League B. Wales then finished second behind Belgium in World Cup qualifying, but lost at the play-off semi-final stage to Bosnia-Herzegovina — the result that started the winless sequence they will attempt to end against Norway. Bellamy insisted the downturn was something he had anticipated. “I knew what I was coming into and I said when I was nine, 10 games unbeaten, there will be moments [like this] – it’s inevitable,” he added. “Now in the moments, you’ll see a bit more of me because I think you all thought I’d go crazy but no, I want us as a team to improve and I want to improve as a coach.”
Injuries remain a concern for Wales. Bournemouth midfielder David Brooks, who began the 1-0 loss in Portugal last Thursday, missed Sunday’s 2-0 defeat in Denmark and will again be absent through injury against Norway. Wales were already without a number of players, including first-choice goalkeeper Karl Darlow, centre-backs Joe Rodon and Dylan Lawlor and key forward Harry Wilson.
As his side look for inspiration, Bellamy pointed to his spell as assistant to Vincent Kompany at Burnley. “You never truly get beaten and I’m sorry, it’s a cliche saying it, but it’s what you learn… how can you improve?” he said. “I’ve been there as a player and I’ve been there as a coach. I went for a whole season only losing two games as a coach [at Burnley] to the next season only winning two games. That coach then [Kompany, who is now Bayern Munich boss], where’s he now? What’s he doing? But it was the moment when he wasn’t winning, that’s the coach you see now. That’s what I got to witness. So for me I’m always, yeah, keep working, keep going.”
Norway arrive in Cardiff having been beaten 2-1 at home by Portugal on Sunday, after beginning their Nations League campaign with a 3-2 home victory over Denmark. Those were Norway’s first games since the World Cup, where they overcame Brazil in the round of 16 before losing to England in the quarter-finals. Norway have fitness concerns over Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, but Wales can expect to face Erling Haaland, who has scored 65 goals in 57 internationals and three of Norway’s four goals in this Nations League campaign.
Bellamy dismissed the suggestion that the striker might be distracted by news that his club, Manchester City, have been found guilty of breaking the majority of the 115 financial rules they were accused of breaching. “I don’t think he’ll be distracted. The guy’s a machine – have you seen his record at international level?” Bellamy said. “He just wants to score – that isn’t stopping. He’s brilliant. If you love football, you have to appreciate him.”
Bellamy, a former striker himself, went on to compare Haaland to former New Zealand rugby superstar Jonah Lomu. “It’s very rare you have a player who’s his size and has his mobility,” he added. “When you see certain moments in sporting careers or certain sports, you remember the Jonah Lomu factor, we’re coming through the Haaland factor in this present moment. Now we will adapt, the game will adapt. How we’re able to combat that is going to be another challenge, but an exciting challenge.”