Over the last two international camps, some of the more experienced England players have felt something they haven’t sensed for quite a while. There’s been a serenity to the squad, a good mood that manifested in the first-half evisceration of Wales.
This should be no surprise since Thomas Tuchel has spoken at length about actively trying to nurture this sort of atmosphere. There are, of course, a lot of elements to it - from better form to greater familiarity with the coaching staff – but one aspect of the discussion is creating a lot of noise outside the group.
That is the omission of Jude Bellingham, which some of the squad have started to debate, too. Sources close to the Real Madrid dressing room insist he isn’t yet fully match-sharp, but it’s no secret there’s an issue here regarding squad chemistry. That's also why there's more noise about this than with, say, Phil Foden.
Tuchel himself spoke in June about how the 22-year-old has “some attributes that can intimidate you – maybe even as a teammate.” Senior England staff would privately go even further and say some teammates actually have been intimidated. Certain players feel they have to “walk on eggshells around him,” and he’s quick to administer “a bollocking.”
That may not be Bellingham’s intention, but it is the energy he gives off, especially as he’s known to have been fixated on ‘The Last Dance’. The forward’s abrasive nature is even understood to be one of the few reasons that Tuchel brought back Jordan Henderson, because the veteran is a rare teammate that Bellingham listens to.
There are people around the squad who rightly feel this is all a bit of a concocted soap opera, since it will only have true significance if Tuchel leaves Bellingham out for the warm-up matches next summer.
That isn’t to say the manager isn’t trying something, though, and the entire story may indicate even more about the evolution of stars in the modern game - as well as how Bellingham signifies a new trend...
