Gareth Southgate is confident that Jude Bellingham will develop as an England player, having persevered through the demanding physical and mental pressures of being subjected to Brazil’s aggressive maneuvers.
During England’s 1-0 loss to five-time world champions Brazil at Wembley on Saturday night, Bellingham’s significance as a star player was evident. Despite facing physical obstacles from the opposing team, the Real Madrid midfielder still attempted to take control of the game by aggressively attacking Brazil with the ball.
The statistics indicated that Bellingham was fouled on five occasions and it appeared that Brazil was intentionally trying to aggravate him. The 20-year-old had to be careful after receiving a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Bruno Guimarães.
Bellingham brings a fierce energy to his game, which could potentially be targeted by England’s opponents in Euro 2024. It should be mentioned that he has received nine bookings for Madrid this season and was suspended after receiving a red card against Valencia at the beginning of the month. However, Southgate believes he will learn from Brazil’s aggressive tactics.
The head coach of England acknowledged that he is a skilled player and their team is known for their aggressive playing style. If this had been a real game, there would have likely been more penalties to control their behavior. However, this experience will ultimately be beneficial for him.
In my opinion, he handled the situation effectively this evening. He received a yellow card, but it could have easily gone the other way multiple times. However, the more significant issue tonight was that he experienced muscle cramps. Due to his recent absence from the sport, he is still working on getting back to peak physical condition.
Southgate was of the opinion that Lucas Paquetá from Brazil should have received a second yellow card during the first half. When asked about his conversations with Bellingham regarding handling his emotions, he stated that he had already spoken to all the players before the game about the physical nature and high number of fouls that can be expected when playing against a South American team.
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The number of fouls did not match the number of cards, and in a competitive game, this would have been different. They would not have been able to continue fouling as much as they did.
England’s Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire, along with reserve goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, have pulled out of the squad due to injuries sustained while playing. The Football Association stated that the three players have gone back to their clubs for evaluation.
During the beginning exchanges with Brazil, Walker had to leave due to a hamstring issue. His club, Manchester City, may be worried about his injury as they have a crucial Premier League game against Arsenal on Sunday.
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Maguire was substituted in the 67th minute on Saturday, having only recently recovered from an injury. Rico Lewis from Manchester City and James Trafford from Burnley, who were previously part of the under 21 team, have been moved up to the senior squad for tomorrow’s game against Belgium.
The recent injuries contribute to the challenges of Southgate’s camp, which was already dealing with a number of players who were unwell.
Ollie Watkins struggled to fill in for Harry Kane in England’s match against Brazil, highlighting the absence of the Bayern Munich striker who has now departed from the team ahead of their friendly against Belgium.
The current injury he is facing is a rather unusual situation, as he accidentally got his foot stuck in the netting,” Southgate explained. “He has been pleased with the condition of his ankles for a while now. With the winter break and their domestic cup out of the way, there isn’t much more we can do. Luckily, he is a dedicated athlete and will do everything in his power to recover and be ready to play.”
Source: theguardian.com
