How quickly things can turn in football.

Prior to the 7-1 rout of North Macedonia, there were mutterings and murmurings that Wales were not progressing as a team under Bellamy.

Despite an excellent start which saw the former Burnley assistant’s side top their Nations League group unbeaten, Wales had endured a stuttering 2025.

Placed in a deceptively difficult World Cup qualifying group with old foes Belgium, a growing North Macedonia, the stubborn Kazakhstan, and minnows Liechtenstein, things got off to a decent start, with three goal home victories over the latter two and a draw snatched late in Skopje.

The Belgium away match was a whirlwind of the best and worst of Bellamy’s Wales: 3-0 down in half an hour, only to roar back in the second half to level the match. Kevin de Bruyne – famous for previous saying he was bored of playing Wales and winning some trophies with Manchester City – broke the Red Wall’s hearts as Wales pushed for a winner that they did not necessarily need.

Enter the 2025/26 season, autumnal football has tended to suit Wales. In years gone by, the side would tend to wilt in the heat of June internationals – think the 2-4 and 2-0 defeats to Armenia and Türkiye respectively before roaring back in September and October to earn a play-off spot.

This time, though, the colder weather threatened to extinguish the early optimism around Bellamy’s tenure.

A 0-1 away win in Kazakhstan is nothing to be sniffed at, but the subsequent friendly defeats to Canada and England were damaging.

Bellamy was unequivocal: to compete with the best, you have to play them and learn from them. His name checking of England boss Thomas Tuchel as someone who he aspires to be on the same level of expertise as was interesting to note.

The most certain thing of Bellamy’s topsy-turvy regime is his unwavering commitment to his ‘idea.’ At all times, Wales will try to be the progressive force, pressing with intensity of a Premier League side and with the same tactical nous in possession too.

What this has meant is, for much of the year, Bellamy looks to have been searching for the correct balance between the attacking force seen in the Belgium and Macedonia games and the defensive steel not achieved against the bigger nations who can manage the intensity.

When Bellamy first got the Wales job, he spoke to glowing terms of not France, or Argentina, or England (like he ever would), but of Austria. With a population of around nine million, no genuine stars, and most of their best players playing outside of the country, there are some parallels to be drawn with the Welsh situation.

By harnessing the strengths of their squad – who mostly play in the intense German Bundesliga – Austria were the breakout stars of EURO 2024, topping the ‘group of death’ ahead of France, Netherlands, and Poland, and playing some wonderful football on the way.

With Wales’ 7-1 victory over North Macedonia, it is clear to see why Bellamy made that comparison over a year ago.

Without usual focal point Kieffer Moore – who Bellamy has a clear start-bench relationship with – Wales lined up, in the manager’s words, with two wingers and three number 10s.

Four of the five – Brennan Johnson, Dan James, Harry Wilson, and David Brooks – play in the Premier League and are happy playing with the intensity that Bellamy requires. The other starter, Liam Cullen, as well as the two deputies on the night, Sorba Thomas and Nathan Broadhead, all play in the Championship, where physical gifts are sometimes prioritised over technique.

“I am not a perfect person, I haven’t come across anyone who is,” said Bellamy in the aftermath.

“But maybe I take a little bit of that back because that was as close to the perfect performance as I have seen. That was incredible.

“The way we were able to use the ball, our timing. We didn’t play with a forward, we had three [number] 10s. But they were in the position where you drag someone out and someone runs, then the wide players were connected with it as well.

“We were just so clean with the ball and that allows you to have good chances. It was one of those days where we are able to take them as well.”

The match itself was a whirlwind of chances, slick combinations, and wonderful goals. Anchored by Josh Sheehan and Dylan Lawlor in the absence of Ethan Ampadu and Ben Davies, the five across the front line were too much for the pedestrian Macedonian defence.

A Wilson penalty opened the scoring before Brooks converted expertly from a Johnson cross. Johnson went from provider to goal scorer 15 minutes later, thumping a wonderful strike into the top corner. Somewhere in there, Rangers striker Bojan Miovski scored to keep the Welsh defence alert, but if anything, it emboldened the hosts to push for more.

In the space of 19 first-half minutes, North Macedonia had conceded as many goals as they had done in their previous seven games of this campaign. They would go on to concede four more in the second half.

The fourth goal was the crowning one. Starting from goalkeeper Karl Darlow, Joe Rodon – who has quietly been the most dependable player of the Bellamy era – punches a pass into James, dummied by Brooks.

The Leeds wing lays off to Sheehan who finds Brooks who has seamlessly taken James’ vacated position on the right.

The Bournemouth schemer drives in field and plays a perfectly weighted through ball to Wilson running on. The captain’s back heel lands perfectly in the path of James who slots home with an emphatic first time finish.

To be the goal of the night for a match that included a 25-yeard screamer and perfectly placed freekick takes some doing.

Another Wilson penalty sealed his hat-trick and Nathan Broadhead put the cherry on top. There was even time for Cardiff City’s Isaak Davies to make his international debut and grab an assist.

Was this Wales’ best under Bellamy? Just ask the players.

“I’d say so, the scoreline would say so as well,” Brooks said after the match.

“I thought it was a really good match-up as well. The boys turned up. We were a bit disappointed with how the group’s gone and leaving it so late to clinch second.

“We needed a big performance, and I felt like we did that.”

While the performance was key, the result was just as important. In beating North Macedonia, Wales placed second in Group J, giving them a home draw in the play-off stage of World Cup qualification against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Win that, and they face either Northern Ireland or Italy in Cardiff for a place in the US. Not that the manager is looking that far ahead.

“When we play home, it’s very important for us. Tonight was as close to perfect that I could have asked for,” said Bellamy.

“But you have to be wary of these teams, and I know we’re in pot two. The teams in pot three are going to be similar to what we faced tonight.

“But I’ll just enjoy tonight. A really top performance.”

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