England: Thomas Tuchel must be careful after Jude Bellingham warning as key factor revealed for World Cup glory | OneFootball

England take on Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals this week and it’s vital any disagreements are resolved before kick-off

If the masterful performance of Jude Bellingham served as a warning to their semi-final opponents Argentina, the aftermath of England’s quarter-final victory sent a warning to their own head coach.

The sweltering conditions at Miami Stadium were gruelling for Thomas Tuchel’s players, but a passage past Erling Haaland’s Norway and into the last four was found, after 30 minutes of extra time. That passage was found by Bellingham.

He scored both England goals in a 2-1 win for which the Three Lions had to dig very deep indeed. Tuchel, though, could not hide his frustration at full-time despite being on the right side of the result.

England have reached just the fourth World Cup semi-final in their history, yet Tuchel believed England had “made life very, very difficult” for themselves, been “sloppy”, and had ultimately been “lucky” to win. He said so in pitch-side interviews, and then reiterated his thoughts to his players in his dressing room team talk after the game.

Quarter-final hero: Jude Bellingham

Bellingham raised his eyebrows, let out a sigh. “Yeah well, whatever. Whatever,” he said. “It’s difficult out there. It’s a tough shift.”

Shortly after, he elaborated in a separate interview. “Maybe he doesn't know what it's like to play in those kind of conditions against Erling Haaland, [Martin] Odegaard, [Antonio] Nusa, [Alexander] Sorloth,” Bellingham said of Tuchel. “That's not an easy team to play against. We've tried to create a positive environment. We should continue that going into the final four. I can't speak highly enough of the lads.”

Here was a pretty comprehensive retort from Bellingham, a right of reply to the manager’s comments presented to England’s No10 and duly taken up. And in 32-degree heat with a “feel like” temperature in the forties due to humidity, who could blame Bellingham for feeling inclined to defend his and his team-mates’ display?

On this, Tuchel must be careful.

The fact England are into a World Cup semi-final and yet their head coach is still not content with their displays is, in Harry Kane’s words, “a good thing, in a way.” Tuchel is a restless perfectionist, always believing in better. This is what England had been missing, and it is the very reason the FA decided to hire him over the other nine candidates they interviewed.

But Bellingham did not seem to approve of Tuchel’s comments, and alienating England’s best player at this World Cup — even accidentally — would be a catastrophic mistake from the German and deal England’s chances of glory a hefty dent.

As with most of these things, it is highly likely that the two will have quashed the disagreement and that relationships are strong and focus is already fully on the threats Argentina will pose in Wednesday semi-final, as well as how England can maximise their strengths in the hope of prevailing in Atlanta.

Tuchel should stay alert to the energy he emits, though. He must remain his demanding self but ensure he keeps Bellingham onside.

The alternative would be a real blow for England. It increasingly feels as though England’s shot at glory lives and dies by Kane and Bellingham. In a world where he is already carrying the load, the man other players are celebrating with first after a win — as though grateful for his latest overtime shift — Bellingham could do with not having to take on the responsibility of being the team’s biggest cheerleader as well.

It increasingly feels as though England’s shot at glory lives and dies by Kane and Bellingham

The head coach and his assistant, Anthony Barry, have been extremely honest, often brutally honest, about the team’s performances this summer. But while that has driven them on and typically been a positive, he could have perhaps read the room after that sweaty Miami quarter-final and led with the praise that only came later, of their mentality, of the influence of his substitutes.

Navigating the latter stages of major tournaments is incredibly tough, especially in such testing conditions. England are finding a way, through Kane or Bellingham, and as they enter the semi-finals where they are the lowest-ranked or the four nations left, harmony and alignment and being on the same page, right across the group, will become more important than ever. It is something to carefully preserve.