The England manager Questions Home Fan Atmosphere Following Comfortable Wales Victory.
The England head coach shared his disappointment that the England team did not get more support from the home crowd during their decisive triumph over Wales on Thursday evening.
The manager was happy to see his squad maintain their strong performance, with finishes from Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, and Bukayo Saka inside the initial stages settling the game. But, he was unhappy with the atmosphere at the national stadium.
“We had one and a half training days to prepare against a well-trained team and we excelled,” the coach remarked. “We could have been 5-0 up at half-time. We couldn’t score the additional ones. The stadium was silent. We didn’t get any energy back from the stands. Our team gave their all to win.”
“How much more can you provide in 20 minutes? We didn’t let them get away. When you only hear just Wales fans for 30 minutes, it’s disappointing because the squad deserved greater backing today.”
“I support my words. We cannot do more than leading 3-0 in a derby. I hoped for a greater support in periods where it gets difficult.”
“In the second half, to get behind us, there was a bit too much backing for the opposition. It could have helped us to regain energy, but that’s the way it went and so be it.”
Selection Choices Vindicated by Performance
Apart from risking a fight with supporters, the manager also raised eyebrows by leaving out Bellingham and Phil Foden from his team selection. However the move was validated by Morgan Rogers delivering another standout performance in the attacking midfield role and scoring his first international goal.
“He plays his game,” the head coach explained. “He operates as an attacking midfielder and he is competing for his place.”
Bellamy Seeks Lessons from Loss
Craig Bellamy expressed hope that his team, who host a strong Belgian side in a crucial qualifying match on Monday, take lessons from their poor performance in the opening period.
“That’s the reason I wanted this game,” the manager commented. “I need to see our standing. Where do we want to go? Who do we want to be? This performance fills me with drive.”
Fitness Worry for Striker
Ollie Watkins was withdrawn at the break after clattering into a post and is a concern when the national team face Latvia in Riga in a World Cup qualifying match on Tuesday.
