The Real Madrid midfielder is part of an attack-minded squad but the manager will be watching him carefully
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.
