Jude Bellingham is testament to Thomas Tuchel’s vow that he won’t pick his England squad or XI purely on “talent” and served as a World Cup warning to Bukayo Saka through his hiatus from the Three Lions squad as the Arsenal star ironically endures his worst season as a professional as the Gunners view for the quadruple.
Bellingham returned to the England squad in November after not being selected for the October internationals, but with the Real Madrid star struggling for form and with injury this season, Morgan Rogers is very much the man in possession of the No.10 role after Tuchel insisted “pedigree” only counts for so much.
Saka has been among the first names on the team sheet for England for the last two major tournaments, starting every game at Euro 2024 and all but one group game at the World Cup in 2022. But Tuchel moved to light a fire under the Arsenal star following his fine goal in the 3-0 friendly win over Wales in October.
“How many goals did he score for England? 13? One-three?” a faux-flabbergasted Tuchel asked.
“This has to be more. It’s not enough. He needs to keep on going. I thought it’s 30 at least! And then I would have said ‘well it’s not enough’ because I’m never, never satisfied.”
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Earlier in his post-match press conference, Tuchel had agreed Saka had “stepped up” in what was just his second appearance under the German – before adding: “He had to, as well. He will fight for his place. This is what we demand from him.”
Saka’s fight was evidenced with an assist against Latvia and a goal against Serbia, but Noni Madueke had previously proved his worth to Tuchel and England with impressive performances in the absence of Saka, and Jarrod Bowen was one of few players to come out of the latest England game – the 2-0 win over Albania – with any credit. “He’s someone who’s right up for it,” Ian Wright noted.
After Bowen tapped in to give West Ham the lead against Brentford on Monday to draw level with Saka on nine goals for the season, Ally McCoist declared: “He’s got to be a serious contender to start for England.”
A claim previously dismissed owing to Saka’s unrivalled quality in that position for the Three Lions is no longer being waved away so quickly or scoffed at with quite such mirth.
15 minutes later, after Igor Thiago had unwittingly drawn the Bees level, the captain of the relegation-threatened Hammers scored from the spot to go above title(s)-chasing Saka in the goal charts.
Saka’s seven assists to Bowen’s six isn’t close to being enough to placate critics who might suggest a winger playing for a side seven points clear at the top of the Premier League should be outdoing a counterpart in the relegation zone to a significant degree rather than merely matching them for goal contributions in all competitions.
Chances are a fit Saka starts for England vs Croatia on June 17 in Dallas. Despite Tuchel’s warnings to him and his other venerated teammates, big-game experience counts for plenty in those moments and the England boss knows that as well as anyone.
But Bowen is at the very least making it very difficult to be ignored after what is now four goals and four assists in his last eight appearances for West Ham to drive them towards Premier League safety and an FA Cup quarter-final clash with Leeds.
