By Gareth James
Craig Bellamy hopes his success in leading Wales to Nations League promotion will convince his doubters he is not “the lunatic” some of them believe.
The Wales boss – in as forthright and free-flowing a mood as his players had been – extended his unbeaten run to six games to make it the best start by a Wales manager as his side recovered from conceding an early goal to beat Iceland 4-1 in Cardiff.
Turkey’s shock 3-1 defeat in Montenegro saw Wales leapfrog them at the top of Group B4 and boost their 2026 World Cup qualification hopes.
“I probably feel it was important to show people I am not a lunatic, I’m quite sane,” said Bellamy, whose temperament during a colourful playing career at the top level often got him into trouble.
“People thought I was going to be running on the pitch and pushing the ref and stuff, getting sent off.
“I probably felt more pushed into management to show I am not like that. People used to bring temperament up. ‘Oh yeah, but his temperament.’ I was like: ‘Really?’ Now you get to see this side of me.
“But you (media) were concerned, you were thinking: ‘I wonder what he’s going to be like?’ I understand that as well.
“You’ll see me even calmer and kinder, when it goes wrong … now is the worst period you can get me in, because my emotions are everywhere.
“Trust me, you get nowhere being that way. I’m not naive enough to know those moments aren’t coming.
“I don’t know when but it’s going to happen. I feel like some are waiting for it to happen. I know that and I have to stay calm with that.”
Wales goalscorer Brennan Johnson. Pic: Josh Thomas.
Bellamy was actually booked in the second half for complaining to the fourth official with Wales leading 2-1 through Liam Cullen’s brace – his first international goals.
Andri Gudjohnsen had given Iceland a seventh-minute lead, but Wales coasted home after Brennan Johnson and Harry Wilson – with his fourth goal of the Nations League campaign – produced delicious strikes.
Wales are now effectively guaranteed a World Cup play-off, if needed, as the seventh best Nations League group winners.
Bellamy said: “We want to go to a World Cup. We’ve got to get that ticked off. If we get there, we want to compete.
“These players deserve to be there competing because of their buy-in. They are in. When you have a group like that, their togetherness and who they are as people.
“I think I’m quite a humble person, some don’t know me. This group make you humble.
“We had a member of staff whose close relative passed away and then the players donated in memory of him.”
Craig Bellamy says he wanted to show people he wasn’t “a lunatic” by moving into management as Wales head coach ⚽#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/XEYLBI4dpG
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) November 19, 2024
Bellamy said he was unaware of Wales leading the group until the Cardiff City Stadium crowd began singing ‘we are the top of the league’ and ‘Montenegro’.
“I heard the fans and thought this could actually be a good night,” said Bellamy.
“What I liked was when we went 1-0 down we were able to play and we moved the ball.
“The crowd got a little bit edgy, it’s not normal here to be playing that way. That was the most important thing, we were able to play chests out.
“Maybe we’re not a team that can keep the ball but we were. We believe we’re able to carve our way open in the game. When you look at the mentality of the players, they deserved to finish top.”
Promotion was achieved the hard way following Andri Gudjohnsen’s early strike, and for 25 minutes Wales were staring at a relegation play-off against a League C runner-up.
No manager in Wales’ history has recorded a better start than Craig Bellamy:
6 games
✅ 3 wins
3 draws pic.twitter.com/ntHQjd5m1p— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 19, 2024
But Swansea striker Cullen, winning his seventh cap, turned the tide with a first-half double before Brennan Johnson and Harry Wilson crowned victory with wonderful strikes.
It was Wilson’s fourth goal in this Nations League campaign and his 12th in total for Wales.
Iceland must have felt at home in chilly Cardiff with snow showers during the day and temperatures just above freezing.
Bellamy had not been afraid to make changes for the second game of these double-headers, making five alterations in September and seven in October.
On this occasion, following Saturday’s creditable 0-0 draw in Turkey, Bellamy made four changes with Karl Darlow, Connor Roberts, Jordan James and Sorba Thomas making way.
In came Danny Ward, Ben Cabango, Cullen and Daniel James as Mark Harris, forced off at half-time in Kayseri following a nasty clash of heads with team-mate Joe Rodon, retained his place in the line-up. Rodon also started to win his 50th cap.
Iceland made a fast start with Ward tipping over Isak Bergmann Johannesson’s drive and were ahead after seven minutes.
Orri Oskarsson stole behind Cabango to meet Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s cross and force a fine save from Ward.
Wales goalscorer Harry Wilson. Pic: Josh Thomas.
But Gudjohnsen was on the rebound in a flash and squeezed the ball through the legs of Ward with a finish his father Eidur, the former Chelsea and Barcelona forward, would have admired.
It was the first time Wales had fallen behind under Bellamy, and they were slow to respond as Iceland defended comfortably and sprang lively attacks.
Cullen sent a grasscutter at Hakon Valdimarsson and drew Wales level after 32 minutes by nodding home Johnson’s cross.
Wales survived as Cabango headed away Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson’s deflected cross from under his own crossbar and Gudjohnsen flashed over.
But Wales finished the half strongly as Valdimarsson denied Johnson and Harris before Wilson won possession on the stroke of half-time with a sliding challenge.
Harris slipped James through and his saveable shot was pushed into Cullen’s path, who nudged the ball past Sverrir Ingi Ingason on the goal line from three yards.
Valdimarsson saved from Ben Davies and Wilson, but Iceland continued to threaten Ward’s goal and Welsh uneasiness manifested itself in Bellamy being booked for complaining to the fourth official.
Ward reacted well to help Mikael Egill Ellertsson’s shot over and the unmarked Thorsteinsson lacked composure when the ball fell at his feet in the box.
Wales were able to breathe more easily after 65 minutes after Cullen added an assist to his brace, sending Johnson scampering away to bury his fifth international goal low past Valdimarsson.
Cullen was also involved in the fourth after 79 minutes, battling for possession inside the Iceland half.
Wilson did the rest with an unerring 20-yard shot to confirm that Wales will now be beginning their World Cup campaign rather than entering the Nations League play-offs.