Jude Bellingham had a one-word response to Thomas Tuchel's fury over England's performance against Norway: "Whatever". It was a striking response from Bellingham and is sure to spark speculation about the rapport between the England boss and his star player.
Bellingham's Heroics in Miami
The Real Madrid midfielder was England's saviour in Miami as they defeated Erling Haaland and his Norway teammates, netting twice including a first-half leveller and an extra-time decider. As 'Hey Jude' echoed around the Miami Stadium, Tuchel unleashed his criticism of his players during an ITV interview.
Tuchel's Unhappiness
The England boss was far from impressed with what he'd seen from his squad, unhappy with a display that saw them go behind and then rely on a VAR reversal to prevent them from trailing 2-1 in the second half. Tuchel stated: "We made life very difficult for ourselves today. The result is fantastic, we’re in the last four, it’s amazing, but no, I’m not happy with the performance." He added: "In every sense. The commitment is there but we made life very difficult for us, in the way we played, how we played. Sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough. We were lucky today."
Tuchel on Mentality
Tuchel insisted: "It’s not mentality. It’s not about mentality. The quality of our game. It’s nothing to do with mentality." And he maintained: "We will get better. We need to get better." When quizzed by ITV's Gabriel Clarke about Bellingham's display, Tuchel was full of praise for the man of the match, stating: "Enough said. He does it every single match. World class."
Bellingham's Response
By contrast, Bellingham, when questioned about England's victory and what secured their place in the semi-final, said: "Character, perseverance, even when things weren’t working. We found the way to win the game again. Whether it’s in 90, 120, we’ll give everything we’ve got. You saw that there. So proud of this team once again." He added: "It was a victory for everyone. The whole country wins. Everyone is behind us. It’s a huge shift for everyone." And when the topic of Tuchel being unhappy with his side and being disappointed with the performance was put to England's No.10 - who now boasts six goals in the tournament - Bellingham replied: "Yeah, well, whatever. Whatever." He explained: "It's difficult out there. It's a tough shift. All the players have put in a very tough shift. My thoughts and appreciation goes to the players who have put in a tough shift once again."
