Jude Bellingham has not kicked a ball since early July but the best and biggest England win of the Thomas Tuchel era must be about his \u2018intimidatory ego\u2019.<\/p>\n
You would think it would be all positive after England<\/strong><\/a> finally delivered a statement performance in Serbia.<\/p>\n But the Bellingham cloud looms large \u2013 although it was something else that \u2018overshadowed\u2019 this win.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Blow my whistle, baby<\/strong><\/p>\n England were really impressive in dispatching Serbia on Tuesday evening. It was a phenomenally efficient performance and excellent result<\/strong><\/a>, the best of Thomas Tuchel\u2019s reign by far.<\/p>\n But it was sadly \u2018overshadowed\u2019 if we listen to a very shouty Sun website<\/strong>. Which we know we shouldn\u2019t but Mediawatch is duty-bound here.<\/p>\n They scream that \u2018ENGLAND stars were targeted with a LASER PEN\u2019, that the \u2018INCIDENT\u2019 happened shortly before half-time and \u2018the game was also overshadowed by a phantom WHISTLE\u2019.<\/p>\n It\u2019s pretty much all anyone could talk about. In fact, it\u2019s difficult to actually remember what the scoreline was at all or whether England were even any good as the whole game was \u2018overshadowed\u2019 by someone blowing a WHISTLE for a bit before giving up when they realised it wasn\u2019t really having the desired effect.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s the Hope that kills you<\/strong><\/p>\n The general theme in the coverage is that this was about as good as Tuchel and England could have hoped from 90 potentially troublesome minutes in Belgrade. But also that it offers no further indication of whether they are actually equipped to win the World Cup because really no game is going to offer reliable evidence either way until the tournament itself.<\/p>\n And that is absolutely fine. There is no need whatsoever for hot takes to be delivered after every single game.<\/p>\n But there is a desire from Craig Hope and the Daily Mail<\/strong> to score points and spend this entire international break dunking on a player who hasn\u2019t kicked a ball for club or country in over two months.<\/p>\n Jude Bellingham remains \u2018the elephant in the room\u2019 only because Hope and the Mail keep hunting him<\/strong><\/a>. Because even a 5-0 win away in Serbia must be given a negative slant by leading on \u2018the rising star who staked his claim to steal Jude Bellingham\u2019s place in the team\u2019.<\/p>\n Comparing and contrasting Bellingham with Morgan Rogers is completely understandable and even necessary, but this is just plain weird and agenda-driven:<\/p>\n \u2018The\u00a0Aston Villa\u00a0playmaker, like Bellingham, has a swagger about him and can produce those moments of inspiration to break stubborn opposition. Minus the intimidatory ego of Bellingham, could he be a better bet in the No 10 role going forward? Let\u2019s see, but this was very encouraging.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The \u2018intimidatory ego\u2019 line says far more about Hope than it does Bellingham. It\u2019s painfully revealing, in fact. An \u2018uncomfortable truth\u2019, you might say.<\/p>\n Quite when that \u2018swagger\u2019 morphs into something more apparently problematic is unknown. It\u2019ll probably be the second Rogers starts avoiding giving interviews with increasingly strange journalists.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Jules Rimet, still screaming<\/strong><\/p>\n Two quick points, prompted by this Daily Mirror<\/strong> headline\u2026<\/p>\n \u2018FIVE STAR THREE LIONS! England player ratings vs Serbia as four 8\/10 stars shine in dominant victory as Tuchel\u2019s men put one foot in the World Cup\u2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n 1) Can you put your foot \u2018in the World Cup\u2019?<\/p>\n 2) Why would you want to?<\/p>\n MORE ENGLAND COVERAGE FROM F365<\/strong> \u00a0<\/p>\n\n
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\ud83d\udc49\u00a0England arrive under Tuchel but will return from World Cup \u2018with their tails between their legs\u2019<\/strong><\/a>
\ud83d\udc49\u00a0Kane overtakes two legends but might never top 37-man England club because of Beckham brilliance<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n