If England go on to achieve ultimate success at the World Cup, it’s not entirely possible that Jude Bellingham will attribute the credit to Thomas Tuchel rather than Thomas Tuchel.
But if England keep winning, no one will care whether Tuchel is in Bellingham or not.
From the outside looking in, it’s hard to be sure what their relationship is like, but one thing is for sure. It’s not the same as what Gareth Southgate and Bellingham enjoyed. There was great respect between the two. Bellingham liked the way Southgate realized he had a relatively unusual request. Essentially, Southgate believed that a large part of his job was to help Bellingham cope with the spotlight that had been placed on him from an early age.
We don’t know how the two interact behind closed doors, but it’s safe to say that Tuchel doesn’t think the same way as Southgate.
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Essentially, Southgate believed that a large part of his job was to help Bellingham cope with the spotlight that had been placed on him from an early age. We don’t know how the two interact behind closed doors, but it’s safe to say that Tuchel doesn’t think the same way as Southgate.
And proof that the German’s method of using sticks instead of carrots is working came from Bellingham’s performance in the tournament. England will face Argentina in the semi-finals.
In the quarter-finals of the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022, Southgate needed a star midfielder to step up against France, but Bellingham didn’t really do it. Bellingham was in the mix at Euro 2024.
He certainly stepped up the other day against Norway in Miami, as he did against Mexico at Azteca. Bellingham is one of the favorites to win the Golden Ball, which is given to the tournament’s best player.
Jude Bellingham and Gareth Southgate had a very close relationship (Image: Alex Pantling – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Jude Bellingham scores six goals as England reach the World Cup semi-finals (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
He will need to inspire England to reach Sunday’s final, but there is a good chance he can do it. And no one would care if Bellingham’s motivation was somehow further increased by Tuchel’s criticism of his team’s win over Norway.
Not here and now, anyway. Bellingham pushed back against Tuchel, and rightfully so. They are improved players and don’t need to be coddled or coddled, but they didn’t deserve any criticism as they won their next game in a very demanding tournament and reached the last four.
Tuchel has heard that his mother found some of Bellingham’s actions “disgusting” (though, to be fair, he later apologized), and the player is aware of his manager’s criticism. Tuchel will probably call this tough love, but it doesn’t seem like love at all. My guess is that there is certainly no love lost between the two.
Does this matter? Not when England are winning the World Cup and reaching the semi-finals, but of course not. Tuchel is likely to remain in charge for another two years, but will that be an issue going forward? Yes, it will happen.
No matter what you think of the ITV interviewer’s questions, it’s clear that the dynamic between Tuchel and Bellingham is a delicate one. But never mind that Tuchel signed a two-year extension before the tournament, he was originally called up for a purpose.
He was called up to win this World Cup. And if he did that and upset Bellingham down the stretch, that would be fine with all the England fans out there.
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