Going into this summer’s World Cup, Thomas Tuchel’s management of Jude Bellingham was one of the biggest pre-tournament talking points.
With Tuchel having dropped the Real Madrid man from his October 2025 squad, many believed that the Three Lions boss was challenging one of his star players in an effort to get a reaction, while also sending across a message that he prioritised the collective over star names.
This is an opinion held by former England forward Stan Collymore, who believes that any tension between coach and player may ultimately end up benefiting the team, while also comparing their relationship to that of Sir Alex Ferguson and Roy Keane.
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Collymore on Tuchel and Bellingham
“Going to major tournaments before, I remember seeing Jude often being the first player out on to the pitch, with fans chanting his name – it felt a bit centered around his personal brand,” Collymore tells FourFourTwo.
“Tuchel preaches collective unit and brotherhood. Jordan Henderson, for example, was embraced as a senior figure to foster culture.”
For Collymore, Tuchel’s willingness to challenge the hierarchy was likely a deliberate piece of man management.
“Tuchel dropping or threatening to leave Bellingham out beforehand likely rattled him – it was effective psychology,” he continues. “Jude’s internal reaction was ‘How dare they leave me out? Watch what I do in Mexico City and across this World Cup’.”
Bellingham would go on to score seven goals in North America over the summer and was a key part of England’s passage to the semi-finals, but Collymore admits there is a fine balance when it comes to man management of this manner.
“That type of psychological edge works as long as the tension remains constructive,” he adds, as he looks ahead to the kind of role Bellingham should be playing in the future.
“With Harry Kane gradually stepping aside, Bellingham could be England’s most vital player for the next five years, so Tuchel needs Bellingham just as much as Bellingham needs Tuchel.
“Tuchel needs to reach a major final on home soil at the next Euros to secure his long-term tenure. As long as that healthy tension exists – similar to Sir Alex Ferguson with Roy Keane – it pushes high standards.”
“He [Tuchel] demands total buy-in from the squad. Tuchel inherited Gareth Southgate’s foundation and is pushing it further by provoking players to raise the bar.
“If everyone involved shares that level of ambition, England can win silverware.”
