Bellamy accepts scrutiny as Wales prepare to host Norway in Nations League on 1 October

Craig Bellamy said he accepts questions about Wales' form as they prepare for Thursday's Nations League game against Norway in Cardiff on 1 October. The fixture kicks off at 19:45 BST and will be broadcast live on BBC iPlayer, BBC Two Wales, BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and 5 Live, as well as on the BBC Sport website and app with live text commentary.

Bellamy, who was appointed Wales boss on a four-year deal in June 2024, faces a difficult run after Wales lost their opening Nations League matches in Portugal and Denmark and sit bottom of League A Group 4. The team have suffered three successive defeats and have gone six games without a win since beating North Macedonia in World Cup qualifying last November. Wales will complete the current international window by hosting Norway on Thursday and then Denmark on Sunday.

Asked whether it would be unfair to suggest Wales are under pressure to produce results given the quality of the opponents, Bellamy said: "No, I don't see it [as] unfair. I see it [as being] as it should be. You don't win and you lose a few games in a row, you should be asked questions. You'll get some people who maybe will see it and understand a bit, but I don't want anyone to understand. We should always demand and... I'm no different."

Bellamy acknowledged the difficulty of the current spell and pointed to the broader arc of his tenure, which began with a nine-game unbeaten run and promotion from Nations League B. Wales finished second behind Belgium in World Cup qualifying but lost at the play-off semi-final stage to Bosnia-Herzegovina, the result that coincided with the start of the current run without victory.

Squad availability remains an issue for Bellamy: Bournemouth midfielder David Brooks, who started the 1-0 defeat in Portugal, missed the 2-0 loss in Denmark and will again be absent through injury against Norway. Wales were already without a number of players, including first-choice goalkeeper Karl Darlow, centre-backs Joe Rodon and Dylan Lawlor and forward Harry Wilson.

Bellamy cited his spell as Vincent Kompany's assistant at Burnley when asked how he plans to respond, saying: "You never truly get beaten and I'm sorry, it's a cliche saying it, but it's what you learn... how can you improve?" He added: "I've been there as a player and I've been there as a coach. I went for a whole season only losing two games as a coach [at Burnley] to the next season only winning two games. That coach then [Kompany, who is now Bayern Munich boss], where's he now? What's he doing? But it was the moment when he wasn't winning, that's the coach you see now. That's what I got to witness. So for me I'm always, yeah, keep working, keep going."

Norway arrive off a 2-1 home defeat by Portugal on Sunday, having opened their Nations League campaign with a 3-2 victory over Denmark; that was their first match since the World Cup, when they beat Brazil in the round of 16 before losing to England in the quarter-finals. Erling Haaland has scored three of Norway's four goals in this Nations League campaign and has 65 goals in 57 internationals, while Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is a fitness concern for Norway.

Bellamy rejected the idea Haaland would be distracted by Manchester City's recent guilty finding, saying: "I don't think he'll be distracted. The guy's a machine – have you seen his record at international level?" He added: "He just wants to score - that isn't stopping. He's brilliant. If you love football, you have to appreciate him." On Haaland's physical profile, Bellamy said: "It's very rare you have a player who's his size and has his mobility. When you see certain moments in sporting careers or certain sports, you remember the Jonah Lomu factor, we're coming through the Haaland factor in this present moment. Now we will adapt, the game will adapt. How we're able to combat that is going to be another challenge, but an exciting challenge."

Wales will attempt to end their six-game winless run against Norway at Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, 1 October, with kick-off at 19:45 BST and full live coverage on the BBC platforms and live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app.