Wales Head Coach Craig Bellamy Highlights Analyst Piet Cremers’ Indispensable Contribution

Piet Cremers (left) acquired some of his coaching qualifications through the Football Association of Wales. Given his four-year tenure as an analyst with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, it is understandable why Wales head coach Craig Bellamy’s primary point of contact during matches is Cremers. Bellamy exhibits the same level of energy on the touchline as he did during his playing career, and his frequent returns to his dugout seat are typically to consult Cremers and his monitor. Their work involves real-time game analysis, reviewing replays to enhance their understanding of events they have just witnessed, and processing data to determine the most effective tactical adjustments and subsequent actions. While the Wales position represents Bellamy’s initial managerial role in senior football, his previous collaboration with Cremers as part of Vincent Kompany’s staff at Burnley indicates an already well-established professional relationship. When asked about Cremers’ impact on his Wales setup, Bellamy’s succinct reply is: “Everything.” Under their joint guidance, Burnley secured the Championship title in 2023. Although their Premier League tenure lasted only one season, their achievements – and the distinctive playing style they cultivated – convinced the formidable Bayern Munich to appoint Kompany as their manager. Once Bellamy assumed leadership of Wales and began assembling his coaching team, contacting Cremers was a necessity. “The year we had at Burnley was down to him,” Bellamy asserts. “We murdered the league, and it was that. It hadn’t been done before.” He continued, “Someone else might have got five-odd points more [over a season] but, trust me, you didn’t do what we did. Nobody did. We only lost three games all season and one of them was when we were already promoted. It was the manner in which we did it.” Bellamy elaborated on their dominance: “From November onwards, nobody saw the ball, everywhere we went. Home or away, it was an annihilation. If teams got a 0-0 draw, they were applauding and doing a lap of honour. It was that good. It was just like ‘wow’. We were so good without the ball, the intensity… and, with it, we were able to find different solutions, able to adapt.” He credited Cremers for this approach: “Piet really pushed us towards this way. Vinny was always very intelligent about sounding out the best people from here, taking that idea from here, if he found someone here… He brought Piet into our world then and it was just like ‘wow’, he moved so many different areas for us.” Alongside Cremers, Bellamy’s other backroom staff appointments include Andrew Crofts, his former Wales team-mate and current Brighton first-team coach; James Rowberry, the former Newport boss; Martyn Margetson, England’s goalkeeping coach; and Ryland Morgans, Wales’ former head of performance. Despite having turned 30 only last month, Cremers possesses a decade of experience as both a coach and an analyst. The Dutchman’s career includes work in his home country with NEC Nijmegen, Excelsior Rotterdam, and NAC Breda, followed by a year at Brentford before his more extended periods with Manchester City and Burnley. At City, Cremers advanced from an under-23s performance analyst to the first team’s head of performance analysis and insights. In this capacity, he collaborated with Guardiola, the legendary former Barcelona boss who, during his eight years in Manchester, secured six Premier League titles, the Champions League, and 11 other trophies. “He was Pep’s analyst for four or five years, day to day, so the insight of one of the real incredible minds,” Bellamy stated. Bellamy further explained the value of this connection: “To be able to tap into that – and I’m not a little Pep, if you know what I mean, I have different ways and no-one is him – but to get an insight and to see his view, it gets you looking at something.” He added, “Because we (Cremers and Bellamy) are so aligned in what we see, it allows me to find comfort as well. Do you understand? Am I mad here? If I told you some of the shapes and I showed you some, you’d be like ‘that’s insane’. But he puts it into practice – ‘no, this is actually the right thing to do, this is how we do this’.” Bellamy concluded on the topic of tactical formations: “That is why I say what I say about formations. If I showed you a shape of how we’d go up against someone else, you’d say ‘you can’t do that’. But I’ve seen him work it and I was like ‘wow, this works, this is serious’.” Bellamy is clearly passionate when discussing football and its intricate tactical elements. Some of his responses can evolve into four or five-minute monologues on playing patterns or counter-pressing; the former Wales captain only pauses to apologize, with a grin, for veering off-topic. However, his enthusiasm is infectious, and it is evident how much inspiration he draws from his fellow coaches. “I probably wouldn’t but I’d love to sit here and take credit, but it’s him (Cremers), [Andrew] Crofts, Rowbs (James Rowberry),” Bellamy affirmed. He continued, “These people I’ve been able to bring in, it’s them. Honest truth. I’m just for you guys, I’m the one who gets to do the media.” Bellamy concluded by emphasizing teamwork: “I don’t believe it’s just one shining guy, it’s the people you have around you. When you work as a group, you find the solutions a lot easier. In this way, I find it’s the best solution.”