.png)
2 hours ago
2
One snub was enough. Another and it would have started to look vindictive from Thomas Tuchel, who is far too wily not to know that winning the World Cup is probably going to require help from Jude Bellingham, even if it is also on the midfielder to fit into the tactical structures and squad hierarchies required with England now that he is back in Tuchel’s warm embrace.
The manager wants Bellingham’s edge, his fire, but it is about using it in the right way. Individual quality matters but England know from bitter experience that there is a price to pay when celebrity takes over. Still, a point has been made.
Bellingham had much to ponder after being left out of last month’s squad. He watched England secure their spot at next summer’s World Cup without him. He watched Morgan Rogers excel as a counterpressing No 10. He heard Tuchel talk about loving the group’s energy and values. Inevitably, Bellingham has responded in champion style, scoring crucial goals for Real Madrid against Barcelona and Juventus. He had to be picked; another omission would have left his World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.
The hope is that Tuchel will have a Bellingham focused on intimidating opponents rather than teammates. After all, on a pure footballing level, there is no value to picking a fight with one of the best players in the world. The best outcome is that Bellingham’s time on the sidelines has shown him that an international career is a precious, precarious thing. Tuchel, for his part, can now throw a protective shield around the 22-year-old after proving that he is not afraid to make big calls.
“There is no problem with him, there is no problem with the character,” the German said. “Jude just has the edge. You need a certain edge to reach the heights that he reached. We all need to help him and create an environment which he can [have] this edge towards opponents and towards the goals we are building as a team.”
Bellingham dominated much of the focus at Tuchel’s squad announcement for this month’s dead-rubber qualifiers against Serbia and Albania. Who else? Well, how about Phil Foden? Here is another prodigious No 10 in need of love and guidance. Foden has not played for England since March and has struggled to hit the heights this year but Tuchel could not ignore the 25-year-old after his performance in Manchester City’s win against Borussia Dortmund this week.
The question, though, is how to use the various creators at England’s disposal. Rogers and Eberechi Eze deserve their spots and there will be a strong case to pick Cole Palmer once he recovers from a persistent groin problem. Would taking five No 10s to the World Cup be too many? Gareth Southgate never found the right blend at Euro 2024. He compromised by squeezing Foden and Bellingham into the same XI, cramping Harry Kane’s style in the process.
It is hard to see Tuchel doing similar if it hurts the attacking balance. There is room for one No 10, with speedy wingers on the flanks. Clarity helps. Bellingham is in as a No 10. Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, called up for the first time, is a No 8 and the recalled Adam Wharton will compete with Elliot Anderson as a No 6. There will also be no wide role for Foden, who has to be central. Tuchel wants him close to Kane. “It does not make sense to tell Phil: ‘We want you on the pitch but there’s no space on your best position, can you play left wing? Can you play right wing?’” he said. “Phil will play in the No 9-10ish position, in the middle of the pitch. I have this fantasy about him for a long time. I think it suits him the most.”
Tuchel agreed there are times when Foden has not looked himself in an England shirt. “You feel almost like, ‘Does he really enjoy it?’ And a player like him who has this childish joy to play football, then obviously something is not right, be it the position, the environment, I don’t know.
“I think he is also so used to playing for Man City in a certain structure, to have a clear task. I think he profits a lot from clarity. Where do you want me to be? In which positions should I turn? Where am I supposed to accelerate the match? Where do I have to defend?”
after newsletter promotion
Tuchel talked about Bellingham bursting through for tap-ins and Foden drilling in goals from 18 yards. He said he has a longlist of 60 players. Morgan Gibbs-White, Myles Lewis-Skelly, James Trafford and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have dropped out. Nico O’Reilly is rewarded for his fine form for City at left-back. Intrigue abounds.
The omission of Ollie Watkins means there is no direct replacement for Kane in this squad. Fascinatingly, Tuchel hinted at using Foden as a false 9 against Serbia or Albania. Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford, Bellingham and Jarrod Bowen are other options should Kane be unavailable. With qualification secured this is a moment for a little experimentation.
Meanwhile, it is also a moment to get Kane’s relationship with Bellingham going. It is remarkable that you have to go back to the latter setting up the captain to score in a friendly win against Scotland in September 2023 to find the one and only time in 35 games for England when the duo combined for a goal. Tuchel will know that Kane and Bellingham only passed to each other once during England’s draws with Denmark and Slovenia at the Euros. The connection is missing.
“This is where at some point it becomes the responsibility of the players,” Tuchel said. He is not afraid to deliver home truths. There is still a sense of Bellingham being on trial. He cannot even be guaranteed to start against Serbia and Albania. Tuchel wants Bellingham onside but he will be watching him carefully. Leave the ego at the door. It will make a very strong England team an even better one.
