Jude Bellingham

[supercity88]

100%.

Although I have to say I've been crying out for Phil to play as the 10 and Bellingham drop back but after watching last night, I'm not sure we would get much more joy with Phil at 10. He drifts in that position a fair bit, takes up intelligent positions and nobody finds him.

It's different for City because the players know you can pick him out in these positions and he's comfortable at taking the ball, even If he only has a few yards of space to work in, he's arguably the best in the game at it. I think many of the England players are not used to playing with someome like that, they they see he's not in a position with a clear 10 yard radius around him, so they just pass to a player who is in yards of space, even if it's not progressive, not understand Phil doesn't need so much room.

That's why teams like Spain are so fluid compared to England. The players trust each other, they make passes where the recipient only has a second or two to do something with it and they can. England just look for the player they in the most space, which is usually not progressive.

Phil is definitely better than Bellingham as a 10 and can do a lot more with the ball, but you have to find him and England can't.

I feel like England have always had a problem with fitting players into a system. Southgate's been more effective than many managers in that he's looked to focus England on being compact, counter attacking and being strong on the set piece. That's been the best way of playing with the players he's had available for him up until the last few years. We've now got an emergence of players who have been coached properly from an early age and can pass and move the ball and dominate possession. But we don't have a full set of players capable of playing that way.

The biggest issue remains the lack of player in the midfield to connect defence and attack. Off the ball Rice is brilliant. On it, in the 6 role, he's ponderous, nervous and hesitant. The ball never gets played between the lines and so we tend to go sideways and backwards with no penetration.

The other issue is the use of Foden from wide left, ahead of a right footed left back, but with freedom to roam. When he comes inside he can connect things, but the space is then on the left with Trippier in a position to attack....but it's Trippier so it's not effective.

I think after every game I've felt like he might finally solve the problem. But he hasn't. This time, with Trippier's injury and Guehi's suspension he might be forced to do something different and it might just kickstart the team. As we're so poor through the middle, we are probably better switching to a 3 at the back. Even with similar personnel, width from wing backs allows our current "wide players" to get closer to Kane and things would probably work better.

 

[inbetween]

There's something really off for me with Bellingham. I don't know if winning something at Madrid has gone to his head but he's playing like he has fire however it's coming across as all attitude and ego instead of talent.

You can't do nothing for an entire game and then score a big goal but put it across that you're the big game player.

He's a really decent player but there's a quiet way of going about it. He would never fit in at city that's for sure.

 

[Gazza]

There's something really off for me with Bellingham. I don't know if winning something at Madrid has gone to his head but he's playing like he has fire however it's coming across as all attitude and ego instead of talent.

He's a really decent player but there's a quiet way of going about it. He would never fit in at city that's for sure.

I suppose if people have been blowing smoke up your arse for the first 21 years of your life then you're going to start getting a tad big headed.

 

[domalino]

whilst underachieving tournament after tournament.

England haven't underachieved in a tournament since 2016.

They have never been favourites to win a tournament, they've never been the best or most talented squad at a tournament and finishing 3rd, 2nd, and 4th is not underachieving.

This is part of the problem, so many England fans still seem to think they're entitled to have the best team in the world and win trophies and anything less than that is a disgrace.

Under Southgate the results have matched where England should be.

 

[Gazza]

England haven't underachieved in a tournament since 2016.

All depends on how you define achieving.

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

I certainly don't hate Bellingham. But I do think he could do with learning a little humility. He's a great player no doubt but apart from the two.gapls hasnt really played well imo simply as he hasnt created much as a 10. But part of that is also down to Kane not doing his role. I will accept that him being the golden boy and the undroppable Southgate favourite annoys me as it means the team don't play as well as we could and Foden is continually played out of position.

 

[Newman Noggs]

I've watched Bellingham twice for Madrid and all his appearances for England which is too few to judge his talent so I defer to those who've seen more of him on that. However, from his behaviour in those games and the media circus surrounding him, I'm already getting a strong Pogba vibe. Hope he doesn't go the same way.

 

[BlueMoonday]

Bellingham is coming across like a tool.

It's OK got for us to have his Adidas "hey Jude" advert rammed down our throats and endure the Media's fawning over him but the minute there's any criticism he spits his dummy out.

You can't have the praise without the negative criticism.

 

[twosips]

It's really embarassing how many people on here did a 180 as soon as he signed for Real.

I think a lot of it is down to him genuinely playing badly against us. He was pretty anonymous...add that to him clearly being quite unlikeable personality wise (I really don't think that's unfair - there's something of the Cristiano Ronaldo to him on the pitch), plus Foden being shunted out wide to make way for him, and you get a pretty perfect breeding ground for City fans to end up disliking him. It is what it is, and I dont think it was immediately after he signed for Real. It's just built that way over time.

 

[TinFoilHat]

Bellingham at risk of UEFA punishment after 'inside joke' England celebration

Jude Bellingham is at risk of punishment from UEFA over a gesture he made following his overhead-kick equalising goal for England against Slovakia. The midfielder appeared to follow his 95th-minute goal in Gelsenkirchen by making a lewd gesture in the direction of the opposition bench. The...

www.nytimes.com

UK media silence.