Wales manager Craig Bellamy has admitted his side must perform significantly better after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Romania in Bucharest.
Goals from Florinel Coman and Adrian Rus sandwiched a David Brooks strike as Romania ran out winners at Stadionul Steaua.
The result handed Gheorghe Hagi his first victory since being appointed as Romania head coach back in April.
Wales extended their unwanted record of failing to win an away friendly since 2008, a run that continues to frustrate Bellamy.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, the Wales boss did not attempt to disguise his frustration with the performance.
“Disappointing,” Bellamy said, before adding: “There were some good bits, but there were some negatives as well. We need to be better.”
Bellamy went further, explaining that his team struggled to consistently threaten Romania’s defence throughout the match.
“I felt we didn’t create the opportunity enough to get into the final third and create consistent chances,” he said.
“We had one or two exceptional chances of course, but we were in too much build-up deep, and that’s not what we look for. We want to break lines and be attacking the defence on a regular basis.”
Wales enjoyed 57% of possession and registered nine shots on target, yet were unable to convert their opportunities into a positive result.
Players including Ethan Ampadu, Brennan Johnson and substitute Lewis Koumas all spurned chances that could have changed the outcome.
“I just thought we were slow moving the ball at times which didn’t help us, so I’m disappointed,” Bellamy added after reflecting on those missed opportunities.
The loss means Wales have gone four matches without a victory in 2026, with their last win being a stunning 7-1 thrashing of North Macedonia back in November.
Goalscorer Brooks was equally forthright in his assessment, insisting the performance level was nowhere near good enough.
“We were not good enough, not at all,” Brooks told BBC Match of the Day Wales, calling for the squad to reflect carefully ahead of upcoming fixtures.
“We kept the ball quite nicely, but we lacked penetrating passes. We played in the wrong areas. We need to be miles better in the Nations League and in the next camp.”
Wales face a considerable challenge ahead, with Nations League A fixtures against Portugal, Denmark and Norway later in 2026 demanding a swift and marked improvement.
