Harsh lessons and 'hurt egos' for Bellamy's Wales

World Cup Qualifier: Wales v Belgium

Venue: Cardiff City Stadium Date: Monday, 13 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST

Coverage: Live on BBC One Wales, S4C, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport website and app, plus live text commentary.

There are certain words that Craig Bellamy doesn't like; established football concepts that he simply doesn't use.

Risk is a "horrid word" according to the Wales head coach, who refused to acknowledge there was any risk in choosing England as friendly opponents.

He is similarly dismissive of traditional tactical terminology. "We don't play formations, we play shapes," he says.

And as for friendly matches? "There's no such thing as friendlies."

Unfortunately for Bellamy and his players, Thomas Tuchel and England seemed to be of the same opinion at Wembley on Thursday.

They launched into this game with the ferocity of a full-blooded qualifier or major tournament fixture, overwhelming their passive visitors with three goals in the opening 20 minutes.

The primary purpose of this match for Wales was to prepare for Monday's World Cup qualifier against Belgium. If Bellamy picked England to learn how his players would cope against world-class opposition, he got an emphatic answer at Wembley.

"I'd like our egos to be hurt. I'd like us to be annoyed," he said. "It's why I wanted this game. We need to see where we are.

"We can play Lithuania if you want, and that's no disrespect to them, but then we'd have loads of the ball and then try to break them down.

"It's where do we want to go? Who do we want to be?

"Today, even now, just fills me with motivation but Monday [is] a different game. Learn from this, [learn that] we don't want this feeling again. You can use it.

"Once you get your arse kicked you learn the most - and I got my arse kicked."

Bellamy was on something of a charm offensive when he faced the media before this fixture. There was to be a new and bigger English audience to see what the Welsh public had already witnessed: his evolution from a combustible, confrontational player to a controlled, deep-thinking coach.

This was the sternest examination so far of that new image.

He simmered on the Wembley touchline as he watched his team fold obligingly in the face of torrential English pressure.

Bellamy kept his cool on the surface but did he manage such calm in the changing room too?

"I quite enjoyed half-time," he said.

"I was like, 'now we see'. What are we going to do?

"When those moments happen, it shows who you are as a coach. You can come in balling and throwing stuff, but to who? It makes no sense. Me, I'm calm.

"This is a moment we need to relish. It's not gone well for us, [so] how are we going to do something about it? Now we see who we are. I like those moments."

Bellamy is clear about how he wants his team to play – pressing high, attacking whenever possible – but acknowledged that, on occasions like this against superior opposition, that will not always be possible.

"I look at England, their physical profile, the speed, the duels. Of course, it helps when you've got a lot of players playing in the Champions League, but that's where you want our players to be," he said.

"[For] the players, it's 'this is where we want to be'. But we also know, we have to be at the top of our game to be able to play against these types of nations.

"On Monday we have to be at the top of our game."

Much as Bellamy wanted to oversee a first Wales win at Wembley since 1977, his primary focus has undoubtedly been Monday's World Cup qualifier at home to Belgium.

Bellamy chose England, and Canada last month, as friendly opponents because he wanted to prepare his players for the kind of challenges they will face in high-stakes fixtures.

"That's why these games are so beneficial," he said.

Wales will have a better idea of where they stand in their World Cup qualifying group once Belgium have played North Macedonia in Ghent on Friday night.

North Macedonia are top on 11 points, one point ahead of Wales and Belgium, who are above Bellamy's men on goal difference and have a game in hand on both their rivals.

If Wales are to qualify automatically by winning the group, they need to win all three of their remaining matches and hope Belgium drop points more than once.

Wales' squad will be watching Friday's game in their team room after dinner at their training base on the outskirts of Cardiff. Bellamy will already have watched countless hours of previous encounters with Belgium as part of his preparations.

When Monday night comes around, Wales will be prepared – if a little bruised by their trip to Wembley.

"It's not exactly [as] planned [the result against England] but Monday's a different game," said Bellamy.

"I'm already looking forward to it."