Tuchel Wants Bellingham's Fire So Long As England's Star Leaves Egotism at the Door.
A single omission proved sufficient. Another and it might have appeared vindictive from Thomas Tuchel, who is much too clever not to realize that winning the World Cup will likely need the involvement of the talented midfielder, although it is also on the midfielder to fit into the strategic frameworks and player rankings necessary with the national team now that he is back in Tuchel's supportive environment.
Tuchel wants Bellingham's edge, his passion, but it is a matter of channeling it in the right way. Individual quality matters but the squad have learned the hard way that there is a price to pay when stardom prevails. Still, a statement has been delivered.
The midfielder was given food for thought after not being selected of the previous squad. He observed England secure their spot at the upcoming World Cup without him. He watched Morgan Rogers shine as a high-pressing No 10. He heard Tuchel discuss appreciating the squad's spirit and ethics. Inevitably, he has reacted in top form, netting important strikes for his club against Barcelona and the Italian side. Inclusion was a must; leaving him out again would have left his World Cup hopes in serious doubt.
The expectation is that Tuchel will have a Bellingham focused on frightening rivals instead of his own colleagues. After all, on a pure footballing level, there is no value to creating tension with one of the best players in the world. The ideal scenario is that Bellingham’s time out of the team has shown him that playing for one's country is a valuable, uncertain thing. Tuchel, for his part, can now offer support around the youngster after proving that he is unafraid to drop big names.
“There is no problem with him, there is no problem about his personality,” the German stated. “Jude just has the edge. It takes that kind of fire to reach the heights that he has. We all must support him and create an environment which he can [have] his drive towards opponents and towards the goals we are building as a team.”
Bellingham dominated most of the attention at Tuchel’s squad announcement for this month’s dead-rubber qualifiers against Serbia and the other. Who else? Indeed, how about Phil Foden? Here is another prodigious playmaker in need of support and direction. He has been absent for England since spring and has struggled to reach his best recently but the boss was impressed by the 25-year-old after his performance in Manchester City’s win against the German side recently.
The question, though, is how to use the attacking talents at available. Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze merit inclusion and there will be compelling reasons to select Cole Palmer once he is fit after a ongoing injury. Is selecting five No 10s to the World Cup be too many? The previous manager failed to discover the optimal mix at the European Championship. He compromised by squeezing both stars into the starting lineup, restricting the captain's influence as a result.
It is hard to see the current manager repeating that if it hurts the team harmony. There is room for a single playmaker, with speedy wingers on the wings. Clarity is beneficial. Bellingham is selected as a central attacker. The new call-up, called up for the first occasion, is a No 8 and the recalled Adam Wharton will battle Elliot Anderson as a defensive midfielder. There will also be no wide role for the City star, who has to be central. Tuchel prefers him near Kane. “It does not make sense to tell Foden: ‘We want you in the team but no spot exists on your best position, can you play the left side? Can you play other flank?’” he said. “He will play in the No 9-10ish position, in the middle of the pitch. I have this idea about him for years. I think it fits his style best.”
He conceded there are occasions when Foden has appeared uncomfortable in an England shirt. “One senses as if, ‘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 setup, I don’t know.
“In my opinion he is also so used to playing for his club in a particular setup, with a defined role. I think he profits greatly from clarity. Where do you want me to be? In which positions should I turn? Where am I supposed to push the tempo? What are my to defensive duties?”
The manager talked about one star bursting through for easy finishes and Foden scoring strikes from outside the box. He said he has a longlist of 60 players. Morgan Gibbs-White, others, the goalkeeper and the midfielder have been omitted. Nico O’Reilly is recognized for his good displays for Manchester City at defense. Interest is high.
The omission of the striker means there is no direct replacement for Kane in this squad. Interestingly, Tuchel hinted at using Foden as a deep-lying striker against Serbia or Albania. Other options, the United forward, Bellingham and Jarrod Bowen are alternatives should Kane be absent. With qualification secured, this is a moment for testing tactics.
Meanwhile, it is also a chance to develop Kane’s relationship with his teammate going. It is remarkable that you have to go back to Bellingham setting up the captain to score in a friendly win versus Scotland in over a year ago to find the sole instance in many appearances for England when the pair combined for a score. Tuchel will be aware that the two stars only passed to each other a single time during the team's ties with Denmark and another at the Euros. Their partnership is missing.
“This is where eventually it becomes the duty of the players,” he stated. He is not afraid to be blunt. There is still a sense of the player under scrutiny. He may not be assured to start versus the upcoming opponents. The manager wants Bellingham committed but he will be observing him carefully. Set aside the ego at the door. Doing so could turn a powerful squad into an more effective one.
