Eurocopa 2024: Gareth Southgate debe tomar una decisión sobre Jude Bellingham, escribe IAN LADYMAN. ¿Inglaterra prescindirá de su mejor jugador, que amenaza con llevar a su equipo por el camino equivocado? | HO

Durante media hora contra Serbia el mundo pareció pertenecerle a Jude Bellingham .

Mientras Inglaterra comenzaba brillantemente su primer partido de la Eurocopa 2024 en Gelsenkirchen, Bellingham llegó tarde al área de penalti para rematar de cabeza y marcar el primer gol de Inglaterra en un torneo que muchos esperaban que ganaran.

Mientras estaba con los brazos extendidos frente a los aficionados ingleses, parecía que la estrella del Real Madrid de 20 años estaba a punto de apoderarse de este verano del deporte. Es una apariencia a la que nos hemos acostumbrado a medida que la estrella de Bellingham ha ascendido en el club y en el país durante los últimos años.

Sin embargo, dos juegos y medio después, todo se siente un poco diferente. La promesa inicial de Inglaterra se ha marchitado hasta quedar vacía y su joven dinamo ya no busca las estrellas, sólo la relevancia.

Mientras el equipo de Inglaterra de Gareth Southgate se ha congelado en el gran escenario, las frustraciones de Bellingham han sido claras y su respuesta a ellas en ocasiones ha sido menos que impresionante.

Jude Bellingham fue uno de los varios jugadores que tuvieron problemas en el terrible empate de Inglaterra contra Eslovenia.

Bellingham estaba visiblemente frustrado con sus compañeros de equipo en la decepcionante exhibición de los Tres Leones.

Se siente como si hubiera pasado mucho tiempo cuando Bellingham anotó el primer gol de Inglaterra contra Serbia.

Al final de la primera parte contra Eslovenia en Colonia, vio la oportunidad de interceptar un pase de un oponente. Se movió para hacerlo pero no llegó a tiempo. Su respuesta fue levantar los brazos en dirección a un compañero de equipo y luego darse la vuelta y mirar a Southgate y su asistente Steve Holland parados al margen. Lo que esperaba que hicieran o dijeran, quizá sólo él lo sepa.

Soon after that, Bellingham was visibly unhappy again. On this occasion it looked as though Kieran Trippier may have been the target of some choice words. In truth, it wasn’t clear. There have been other examples during three largely forgettable games in Group C and there has been some petulance towards opponents too. Against Denmark he pushed out at a rival as he ran by him. Against Slovenia, he shoved a marker unnecessarily to the ground by the byline. All rather ugly. All rather unnecessary.

Such frustration is understandable. Bellingham wants to win just as much as anybody else in Southgate’s under-performing squad. But having been promoted to Southgate’s leadership group – along with Harry Kane, Kyle Walker and Declan Rice – on the eve of this tournament, he needs to realise quickly that this behaviour and countenance is not part of the remit.

It would be harder to ignore if Bellingham was playing to his levels. But he isn’t. In fact he is nowhere near. He was exceptional for that opening 30 minutes in the first game but then seemed to run out of energy and purpose. Southgate intimated afterwards that perhaps the adrenaline and emotion of the occasion had affected him.

The truth is Bellingham has been way below the usual standards he has set in recent years

He needs to realise quickly that this behaviour and countenance is not conducive to the team

Since then, however, his football has been way below his usual standards. There was a lovely pass through to Ollie Watkins late on in England’s draw with Denmark but apart from that the harder Bellingham has tried to influence games, the more he has only managed to do so in entirely the wrong way.

There have been doubts about Bellingham’s positional discipline for a while and that issue has been strikingly apparent here.

He is so deeply talented and indeed so seemingly aware of it that he is a young footballer who seems to try and win games on his own. Where the ball goes, he goes. It’s as though he feels it has his name on it. That may work in the playground where you are bigger and better than all the other boys. But it doesn’t work on the international stage and England – who desperately need shape and structure – are suffering because of it.

As England move forward as wholly unconvincing group winners to a last-16 tie back in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday, there is an argument for Bellingham to be replaced. That would have been unthinkable just a fortnight ago.

But Cole Palmer in particular did enough as a substitute on Tuesday to suggest he is worth a place in the team this weekend. There is also a clamour for Anthony Gordon. It feels as though something has to give and one solution would be to move Phil Foden into Bellingham’s No 10 role to free up at least one spot out on the left side. That central position, of course, is Foden’s preferred one and the role he has played to such great affect at times for Manchester City.

Bellingham is incredibly gifted. It seems certain that he will be the driving force of the England team for years to come, in all likelihood under a new manager. Along with Rice, he is joint favourite to eventually replace Kane as captain.

Gareth Southgate now has a decision to make, with Bellingham’s position in the team at risk

He may be frustrated but right now he is threatening to drag this team in the wrong direction

But right now he is threatening to drag this team in the wrong direction. When things are going badly on a football field, teams need unity and respect on which to fall back and rely. Bellingham, with his mannerisms and demeanour of perpetual irritation and disappointment, threatens to undermine that.

Southgate is not blind to the issue, either. Asked about it as he stood by the team bus late on Tuesday night, the England manager sought to dodge the subject.

‘It’s about the team,’ he said.

‘We have to play as a team at all times and some days the space will be where there is more opportunity for our wingers, as Slovenia defended narrow.

‘For everyone else you have to focus on individuals but for me it is about the team functioning and we were closer to where we want to be in this game.’

But when it was subsequently suggested Bellingham cannot afford to grow frustrated, Southgate changed tack.

‘I will have those messages with him rather than plaster them over the papers,’ he said.

Southgate’s stance is entirely understandable. It serves no purpose for him to go deep into a debate about the form and application of his most gifted player. He needs him on board, after all.

Equally, he has a decision to make. Take all the players’ names off their shirts and choose a couple who are at risk when it comes to selection this weekend and the No 10 would be among them.

Bellingham has simply been sucked down into England’s stinking quagmire of mediocrity

Bellingham stands accused of making it all worse and if Southgate so much as suspects that then he must be prepared to take his best player out of this team this weekend

Too often Bellingham hasn’t shown the required patience needed to affect the game in the right way. He hasn’t waited for his moment. He has gone looking for it and when you do that – no matter how good you are – the chances are you will never find it.

Bellingham llegó a este torneo como ganador de LaLiga y Champions League. Era el joven que esperábamos que llevara a Inglaterra a la gloria. Después de tres partidos, simplemente ha sido absorbido por el apestoso atolladero de la mediocridad de Inglaterra.

Además, se le acusa de empeorar las cosas y, si Southgate llega a sospecharlo, debe estar preparado para sacar a su mejor jugador del equipo este fin de semana. Inglaterra ya ha llegado a esa etapa de “tomar o dar vueltas” en la que no hay absolutamente nada que perder.