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England v Slovakia: Jude Bellingham must come to Euro 2024 party

VaselineJune 30, 2024

0 4 minutes read

England v Slovakia: Jude Bellingham must come to Euro 2024 party

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, England’s Jude Bellingham struggled against Denmark and Slovenia

Author, Phil McNulty
Role, Head football writer in Gelsenkirchen
11 minutes ago

Jude Bellingham celebrated his 21st birthday at England’s Euro 2024 base in Blankenhain on Saturday, having already come of age as a La Liga and Champions League winner in his first season at Real Madrid.

He received congratulations from Tottenham player James Maddison, France midfielder and Real Madrid team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni, among others.

But if there was a slight cloud hanging over the occasion, it would have been because the party for Bellingham and England has not yet started in earnest here in Germany.

For the first time in a rising rise to global prominence, Bellingham’s performances have been subjected to unflattering criticism, despite starting Euro 2024 with a bang by scoring the winning goal in England’s opening match against Serbia.

Since then, Bellingham has not only performed poorly but has been in the spotlight for his rowdy body language in the rushed draw against Slovenia, which left England top of Group C and will play Slovakia in the round of 16 in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday.

Despite all this, however, Bellingham will likely still be the personality England under pressure manager Gareth Southgate looks to as he tries to revive a faltering campaign.

Bellingham has world-class talent, but also remarkable maturity and strength of character for someone so young. So he will not be distracted by the iron self-confidence that he can leave an indelible mark on the 2024 European Championship.

If this happens, there will be a growing sense that England can somehow still get something glorious out of what has been a dismal Euro so far. There is a potentially favorable route to the final in Berlin on July 14, but only if Southgate’s team can find the form that makes them the favorites for the tournament.

The England players have enjoyed a quiet period ahead of the meeting with Slovakia. Golf and padel were on the agenda as Southgate recognized the importance of relaxation in the hectic period surrounding Euro 2024.

However, it is now time for England and influential players such as Bellingham to revive their campaign.

Bellingham will know as well as anyone that he has fallen short and the statistics bear out his struggles.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, England manager Gareth Southgate will look to Jude Bellingham to inspire his side in the last 16

The header that gave England victory in that opening match remains his only attempt on target in three games, from just three attempts in three matches. He has created just one chance at Euro 2024 so far, with just five passes inside the box.

It is a miserable return for such a driving force of nature, who has scored 19 league goals in 28 games for Real Madrid this season.

Bellingham’s touch deserted him in England’s draws against Denmark and Slovenia. After looking exhausted in the second half of the latter match, he admitted: “I felt like I was absolutely dead.”

His first season in Madrid has been tough and so far it looks like England are paying the price for those efforts.

However, Southgate has no doubts about Bellingham’s fitness or his ability to cope with the increased expectations that come with his growing stature.

“I think when you walk off the pitch and you’ve given everything, you’re going to feel a certain way physically and emotionally,” Southgate said. “He missed a spell at Real Madrid with an ankle injury and then missed a few games towards the end as they were preparing for the Champions League final.

“I don’t care at all where he is with his conditioning.”

The young star’s dip in form has even sparked a debate over whether he currently deserves a place in the England squad, with Southgate struggling to find a system that suits Bellingham and Manchester City’s Phil Foden, who is on the left flank plays.

Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti, that great facilitator of world-class talent, has enough wealth at his disposal to allow Bellingham to play with the freedom he simply cannot have with England.

It has been noted how Federico Valverde is key to unlocking Bellingham’s brilliance at club level, with energy and selflessness to match his team-mate’s greater attacking ambitions.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Federico Valverde played a key role in Bellingham’s first season at Real Madrid

Bellingham is showing signs of inner turmoil amid England’s general mediocrity. This was particularly evident in the match against Slovenia, which ended with three plastic beer cups being thrown in Southgate’s direction by supporters after the final whistle, amid a hostile reception for the manager and players.

Former England striker Wayne Rooney showed a degree of compassion when he told BBC Sport: “To me he looked very frustrated. I was there in exactly the same position he was in. You saw him throw his arms in the air .” “

And Southgate was quick to emphasize that Bellingham’s career is still in its infancy in some respects when he said on Saturday evening: “He laughed a lot. It was a big day for him because it was his 21st birthday. It’s a big day for him too. it.” a reminder of his age and how well he handles all the expectations around him at a remarkably young age.

“I can understand that his world is very different from that of most 21-year-olds I know. He deals with it exceptionally well and better than most 21-year-olds I know.”

Southgate has so much respect for Bellingham and values his personality and contribution so much, despite being only 21 years old, that he has been included in the ‘leadership group’ of the Euro 2024 squad, along with captain Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Kyle Walker.

England now need him to take charge on the pitch.

VaselineJune 30, 2024

0 4 minutes read

Vaseline

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