Nations League: Iceland v Wales
Venue: Laugardalsvollur, Reykjavik Date: Friday, 11 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Sounds & live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app
The difficult second album is a concept which troubles some musicians; the idea of living up to elevated expectations in light of an exhilarating debut.
Craig Bellamy may not be labouring under that same burdensome pressure but, given how he started his tenure as Wales head coach, he has undoubtedly set himself a high bar.
On Friday, Wales resume their Nations League campaign in Iceland, this second camp coming a month after an opening goalless draw at home to Turkey and a 2-1 win in Montenegro that rekindled joy in the national team.
Hyperbolic as that might sound for two creditable if not otherworldly results, to watch Bellamy’s first game in charge against Turkey was to reawaken one’’s senses, to see Welsh football anew.
This vivid technicolour reimagination of Wales could not have been in starker contrast to the monochrome gruel that had preceded it.
Whereas the team’s previous iteration had appeared stale and inconsistent, here was a vision of what was possible: rabid ferocity off the ball and a new confidence and inventiveness on it, a bold and ambitious way forward.
It was scarcely believable that Wales could look so different after just four days for the players to work with their new boss but, such is Bellamy’s detail and intensity, this already looked like a team transformed.
“I couldn’t have enjoyed it any more,” Bellamy says of his first camp. “The players were exceptional. I’m always conscious of the amount of information we give because we don’t want to overload but, when we spoke to the players, they wanted more.
“It’s new to me as well. I was conscious of everyone telling me you only have so many days with them. I’ve never really felt it was that way. Footballers are really intelligent, they can take more than you can give because they’re the ones playing, the ones who have a feel for the game.
“If you can show why – and there has to be a why in everything you do – they start to feel that and see it for themselves then go with it even more. That was the most pleasing aspect of it all.”
And what about this, the difficult second camp?
“It’s easy when you first come in, everyone’s positive, everyone has energy,” Bellamy says. “My idea going into the second camp was ‘let’s see’ and it hasn’t [dropped off], it’s been really positive again.”
In business jargon, this is what you call ‘buy-in’; the players’ total commitment to what Bellamy is asking of them.
Speak to any squad member – fresh-faced fledgling or seasoned veteran – and they will extol the virtues of their head coach’s meticulous methods.
Bellamy lives for football. He will speak for hours about his myriad tactical ideas and influences, his ideals and non-negotiables, how he sees the game being played.
He has assembled a highly-rated coaching team but delegating can be difficult when he cannot help getting involved with almost every aspect himself; from defensive drills in training, to video analysis sessions on opponents.
Bellamy’s passion is infectious. Once you have spent time in his company, you know the players’ enthusiasm is genuine.
We already knew this squad was tightly knit but a gutsy win in rain-soaked, wind-swept conditions in Montenegro underlined how this group have the intangible qualities to match the measurable attributes which Bellamy and his support staff have pored over so thoroughly.
If it sounds like everyone is getting carried away, it is worth considering that this new dawn has been enticing enough to bring Joe Allen out of international retirement, and it almost did the same for ex-Wales captain Ashley Williams, who called time on his career four years ago.
“I’ve never missed it, didn’t ever want to come out of retirement until Wales played Turkey,” the 40-year-old told BBC Sport Wales’ Feast of Football.
“I just thought ‘I’d love to be in this game’. I really wanted to play under Bellers with that style of play, which would have suited my style. That was the first time I’d missed football. Surely the fans are as excited as I am.”
They are, Ash.
There cannot have been many Wales managers who have had their name sung after just one game.
“We’re going to win the World Cup,” chimed the WhatsApp groups and voices in the stands just a few minutes into the Turkey game.
Yes, this was tongue in cheek and, no, they did not really believe that (maybe just a little?) but this felt like an intoxicating glimpse of the future.
The fact that these were only Nations League matches did not matter. This was about enjoying Wales games again – with the tantalising added detail that it might lead to greater achievements again. World Cup qualifying starts in five months.
The style of football was different – daring, purposeful – and so was the language around it.
No mention of transition, no talk of a small nation punching above its weight. This is a group of players capable of big things now.
“I’ve got to be honest, I’m excited,” says Bellamy. “I knew this group was good. I was excited after the first camp and, this camp, it’s gone up again. This is a good group of players we have at the moment.
“I have one eye on the future but also I’m very conscious of the present. It’s important to identify the way we want to… I was going to use the word progress, but no.
“I just want us to create our identity. This is how I see us playing.”
Two games in, that much is clear already.
The next assignment is a progress – mind that word – report against Iceland, followed by a home game with Montenegro on Monday.
After the resounding success of his first camp, Bellamy need not have any worries about a difficult second album, or camp. With a four-year contract taking him up to Euro 2028, the record deal is in the bag.
It is only his employers who might worry that a bigger label might come calling before then.
Until that moment comes, Bellamy could not be more committed to Wales. Tune in and enjoy the wild ride.
