"He's such a special player that he can't be left out of the national team."
The British 'BBC' reported on the 12th (Korean time) that "Thomas Tuchel stated that his mother felt 'unpleasant' about Bellingham's behavior during the game. However, he highly values the 'specialness' that Bellingham possesses."
England took the lead with Harry Kane's opening goal but allowed 3 goals to Senegal, losing 1-3. This defeat ended England's unbeaten record of 15 wins and 6 draws against African teams after 22 matches. It was also the first time that England conceded 3 goals in a game against an African team.
England had a possession advantage of 60.7% to 39.3%, but with 8 shots (4 on target) compared to Senegal's 11 (9 on target), they couldn't dominate the match. The 4th-ranked England deployed a 4-4-2 formation against 19th-ranked Senegal. Kane (Bayern Munich) and Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) started as the two strikers, while Anthony Gordon (Newcastle) and Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) took the wing positions.
Thomas Tuchel, who leads England, made a bold decision to replace 10 of his best 11 players after returning from a 1-0 victory over Andorra on the 8th, but it turned out to be a misstep. England suffered their first defeat under Tuchel after winning three consecutive matches.
The scene in which Bellingham is being criticized occurred during the recent friendly match between England and Senegal (1-3 loss). In the match on the 11th, after Bellingham's goal was disallowed due to a VAR decision in the second half, he expressed strong dissatisfaction. His attitude, seemingly unconcerned about the game's outcome, drew strong criticism.
In a post-match interview, Tuchel explained, "I don't want to extinguish his 'fire.' However, it needs to be expressed in the right direction. Still, his drive is essential for achieving the great results we want. That energy must be directed towards the opponent and the goal." He added, "It shouldn't come off as threatening to teammates or overly aggressive towards referees."
He continued, "Bellingham has that special 'fire,' and I don't want to suppress it. Of course, there are times when his presence can intimidate even teammates. Occasionally, he may explode towards the referee or show signs of anger during the game, but if we can utilize this tendency well, it can provide our team with the 'edge' we need."
Regarding claims among some fans that it might be better for Bellingham to be excluded from the England national team, Tuchel said, "He is a very smart and open-minded player, and so far, he has been very easy to coach. I don't see it that way. Instead, we should think about how to incorporate Bellingham's best performance into the team."
Tuchel defended Bellingham's attitude, saying, "The attitude he has shown can sometimes evoke mixed feelings in observers. My mother even remarked that it was excessive. Seeing Bellingham's anger and determination on TV can feel uncomfortable. However, he's a player who can captivate everyone with his smile."
Meanwhile, England is set to face Andorra and Serbia in World Cup qualifying matches in September.
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