Jude Bellingham is an ‘absolute tool’ and ‘complete moron’ | OneFootball

Should England go to the World Cup without Jude Bellingham? Can Thomas Tuchel really justify picking Morgan Rogers instead?

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Chilling with England

Last night was probably the most enjoyable match I’ve spent watching England for a very long time. And that’s because at no point did the England ‘band’ play a single sodding note of the three tunes with which they have been plaguing us for decades.

Genuinely made for a much better experience. Now if we could just get rid of Lee Dixon too… Dave H, London

Jude Bellingham has done it again…

See? He can’t help himself, he’s an absolute tool and a complete moron to boot.

“Who, me? Substitute *me*? What do you mean, who else?”

All that palaver about his behaviour and he does this. He has learnt *nothing*, not one damn thing. All his entourage will have been feeding his victim complex while he wasn’t picked and I guarantee you no one said to him he might want to consider toning down his c**p. Even a little bit.

Tuchel should now drop him and skip using his Mum as a scapegoat. Say flat out – *this* is not acceptable and I am not having it in my team. If you can’t handle it then you won’t be in my team, that’s it, the end, have a nice life.

The bottom line is this. Bellingham is not as good as his reputation and not even half as good as he thinks he is. Sloppy in possession, no tactical discipline, repulsive behaviour and as selfish as hell. The team can not only survive without him, it can *thrive*. Best performance in Tuchel’s reign? Without Bellingham. It wasn’t a coincidence.

Now is the time to *really* lay a marker down. Oh and win the World Cup without him, that would make the point pretty nicely.

Team first, *always*. James , Liverpool and England (Come on Thomas, have the courage of your convictions)

Is Bellingham destined to get sent off?

I read somewhere , probably this mailbox , an educated guess/prediction about Bellingham getting wound up by Argentina players in the Quarter Final and being sent off which I could perfectly visualise by realising the long chain of calamitous events around England and World Cups (the Southgate years not withstanding).

The Bobby Charlton substitution that freed Franz Beckenbaur, on top of the underhanded food poisoning of Gordon Banks leading to the jitters of Peter Bonetti plus the trumped up charges of theft around Bobby Moore.

After not even qualifying again till recent coup d’ état Spain ‘82 when , in Bilbao finding a good solution v France in our forward players to then picking a half fit Keegan & Brooking to throw away that good solution. Like picking an over the hill Shilton to not get near any penalty kicks in 1990 and leaving Gascoigne on too long after he was yellow-carded.

Having a turnip brained coach bungle ‘94 qualifying, then the Beckham red card and more calamity and pain in Saint Etienne.

A ridiculous goal over Seaman’s head by Ronaldiño for the eventual champions to playing a half fit Rooney and red cards in 2006. Awful awful football in 2010. We had a relegated West Ham defender and keeper and it was as dreadful as Manaus and Brazil.

All in all, I’d like to think that Thomas Tuchel can overcome all that history and play, as Peter B pointed out, a ‘16 man team’ where four fresh attacking players come on late in the game to be ‘finishers’ and fully use our embarrassment of attacking riches. If that means a humbled Jude coming on with Foden and Eze as a tiring Kane , a left winger and a 10 (M. Rodgers is in the box seat) go off , then I’m down with that .

I did shout out some years ago the ‘Foden could be the Kane substitute and play a false 9 role’ idea. Finally, Cole Palmer may be able to allow Saka bursts off the bench too. Peter (egging on the Carvajal-Yamal fued to help us get the rub of the green for once ), Andalucia

But Bellingham > Rogers

So, I’m a Birmingham City supporter, and therefore my opinion might be ever so slightly biased.

Bellingham puts the ball out to Rashford. He the turns, makes a run past the player who was on him, knowing the ball will go into Kane who might head it square or it be saved into his path.

There’s not a defender within 5 yards of him, for a certain tap in, if Kane’s header doesn’t go in.

It’s what he does for Madrid consistently, making moves off the ball and off play which doesn’t necessarily make sense watching on until he’s tapping it in.

Rogers is a really good player. But this very English discourse about who starts is observably ridiculous. JP

On England hubris

I’ve got a simple answer to Micki Attridge from the previous mailbox about why Bryan Robson’s goal is so hyped: because he’s English and it’s England. It’s just another example of the narcissism in the English media and fanbase surrounding their national team. Any little thing England does is MASSIVE and GARGANTUAN. Never mind that they haven’t produced football anywhere near as attractive as actual elite footballing nations.

And before you say it, yes they do actually focus more on foreign national teams in other countries. If you can read foreign languages (which I highly doubt because you’re most likely English) you’d be able to see this in the foreign press.

And no, supporting an English football club that represents north London at most (quiet at the back there!) doesn’t mean that I should have some kind of bizarre reverence for the England national team. Vish (AFC), Melbourne, Australia

Only a play-off but…

Troy F*cking Parrott. Eoin Mackey

…Troy Parrott.

If you don’t know now you know.

COYBIG DC, BAC

…Interlull my hole! Neil, Galway

Conflicting loyalties

Hungary vs Repuplic of Ireland (RoI) was a hell of a game. RoI’s last gasp winner to put us into the playoffs was incredible.

However it raised an issue I try not to think about. Conflicting loyalties.

I’m from Northern Ireland (NI) but when/where I grew up, being born Catholic meant you supported RoI over NI.

It sounds weird but that’s the way it was.

Over the years, and after the ‘toxicity’ in my country started evaporating, I liked the NI team too.

Don’t know how the WC qualifiers will work out, but think it’s possible NI and RoI will meet.

If they do, at least one part of me qualifies. I’ll be cheering for the Republic, but a part of me thinks that’s not where I’m from. Another part of me says it is and you’ve got the Irish passport to prove it you asshole.

If they don’t meet there’s a fair chance both parts of me are out.

This a long winded way of saying that supporting two different teams/identities at the same time is difficult…

…and I should probably have a Guinness, which both parts of me agree with. Aidan, Lfc (always the asshole)

Mailbox kudos

That, ladies and jellyspoons, was an excellent mailbox, with Mr Raines taking his rightful place atop it. “Richard al-Keys” made me laugh a lot. Good work.

Oh, and Liverpool’s tiny wafty ballerina started for Germany vs the mighty Luxembourg, played the full 90, and got……..drum roll…….no goals, no assists, and three shots. At least he’s consistent. RHT/TS x

Some footballers are nice

I met Shane Long yesterday. His son was playing against mine in a game in south London. A cracking 3-3 draw.

Shane stopped to talk to everyone. He helped his son’s team clear up all their gear post-match. He let the team’s coach do his job and didn’t get involved from the sidelines. He was very kind. After the game, he asked questions about my son’s club, seemed genuinely interested, and wished us all well.

His boy’s team was pretty tasty too.

Decent fella, really. Modest and self-deprecating. Just wanted the world to know.