Thomas Tuchel says it gives off a "bad impression" when England players don't embrace the team's collective spirit after Jude Bellingham seemed to take exception to being substituted against Albania. The Real Madrid star returned to the starting lineup for the Three Lions' 2-0 win but was replaced by Morgan Rogers in the second half as the battle for the No.10 spot intensified.
Bellingham returns to England starting XI
After four straight games of Rogers being in the England starting line-up, former Borussia Dortmund star Bellingham got his chance to shine, this time away in Albania. The 22-year-old impressed in the World Cup qualifying victory, even though the ball didn't always bounce his way. The midfielder was, naturally, disappointed to be taken off in the 84th minute, but he still celebrated Harry Kane's goals with the team. However, when one journalist accused Bellingham of not "embracing the collective", Tuchel said he would look into the matter, while stressing the importance of everyone being on the same page.
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'That's a bad impression'
When asked whether Bellingham is possibly not buying into the collective of the England team, he told reporters: "That is a bad impression. It should be about the collective. What we did in camp is all about the collective. I have to then review it – I was happy about the goal. I had a quick talk with Morgan Rogers and I was sure that everyone celebrated together. I will have a look at it. That is not the image we want to transport. We feel everyone is committed and that everyone accepts tough decisions, be it before the match or in the match."
The German added about the substitution: "He [Bellingham] has to accept it, he has to accept it. We should not make more out of it than it is. Rogers was not happy when he couldn't start today because he deserves to play, and he wants to play all the time. We gave him a bit of a rest because he came with a lot of minutes playing at club [level] and played for us against Serbia. I also don't want to make more out of it. I stick to my words – behaviour is key. Decisions are made, and you have to accept it as a player."
Bellingham defended by Ancelotti
In the build up to these England games, former Madrid boss and current Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti came to the aid of Bellingham when question marks were being asked of his attitude. The former Everton manager said on the Rest is Football podcast that Bellingham was a top player and even likened him to Brazilian great Kaka.
"I think Jude is a fantastic player. If I have to compare, we were talking about Kaka. He is this kind of player, a really intelligent player, who is physically really strong, fantastic to arrive in the box at the right time," said Ancelotti. "He's doing really well, and maybe he had a problem with his shoulder. He was out for two or three months, now he's back. No question mark. But why do you have to put a question mark on Bellingham?"
He added, "No, I never had a problem with Jude about his attitude. He is really professional, really serious, works hard in training, like all English players do. And no, no complaints."
Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Bellingham?
It remains to be seen if certain sections of the media are making a mountain out of a molehill or if Bellingham will be punished for his alleged actions. England finished their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 100 per cent winning record, and just when they appear to be on a roll, they will break for a while before returning next year. The Three Lions' fixtures ahead of next year's tournament in North America are yet to be confirmed, but it will be interesting to see what role Bellingham will play in Tuchel's plans going forward.
Incidentally, the ex-Chelsea boss added on the Albania win, "I cannot believe that I see all of them only in March – it is a tough one for me to swallow. I have to say I love to be on the sideline. I love to compete with them. This will be a long, long period now. They did amazing – from all our players full credit to them. We are very proud. We had a lot of changes and sometimes a lot of changes is not fair to the ones that play because then you miss a core of players who are used to playing with each other, but everyone did well. You could see we had a high quality bench to turn things around and influence things, so why not?"