theathleticuk
It is now more than six weeks since England arrived in Florida for the start of this World Cup campaign.
That is a long time to be in the company of the same few dozen people, day after day, flight after flight, from plane to bus to hotel to bus and back again.
It would only be natural if, after so much contact, under so much pressure, facing so much scrutiny, people begin to get frayed around the edges.
Advertisement All of the indications are that this has been an unusually happy England camp so far.
The players have been relaxed in each others company and united behind the mission.
It certainly helps when the team keeps winning.
And the players have been comfortable back in their Kansas City base, an oasis of calm in the green mid-western suburbs.
There has only been one small moment that pointed to even the slightest gap in Englands united front.
It came in the aftermath of Englands exhausting, sweaty 2-1 win over Norway in Miami, their sixth and hardest game, and their worst performance.
Thomas Tuchel looked on edge when he gave his immediate post-match television interview.
He remarked that England were sloppy and lucky.
When Bellingham, who had scored both of Englands goals, spoke afterwards, he was asked about Tuchels comments.
Initially, he was dismissive, shaking his head and saying, Yeah, well, whatever, when asked by UK broadcaster ITV.
Then, when asked to expand by reporters in the mixed zone, he went further.
Maybe that means he doesnt know what its like to play in those kind of conditions against Erling Haaland, (Martin) Odegaard, (Antonio) Nusa, (Alexander) Sorloth, he said.
Thats not an easy team to play against.
I think weve tried to create a positive environment we should continue that going into the final four.
It was a cutting comment, and an unusual thing for a player to say about his own manager.
Even in the rare moments when a disagreement over a performance may be aired in public, it is surprising to hear a player bringing into question the managers right to an opinion like that.
To English ears, it felt uncomfortable, like eavesdropping on another familys private argument.
Although in American sports, this level of candour from superstar players standing up for themselves is less unusual.
Whether LeBron James or Kobe Bryant in the NBA, or Aaron Rodgers in the NFL, this sort of friction is far less unusual in the U.S.
The question, as England prepare to fly to Atlanta today for tomorrows semi-final against Argentina, is how much this actually matters? What does it tell us about the relationship between Tuchel and Bellingham? And will it have the slightest bearing on whether England reach the World Cup final or not? Advertisement The first and most important thing to remember about Saturday evening is that both people but especially Bellingham will have conducted their post-match duties in a state of physical and emotional exhaustion.
It was too hot and humid in Miami on Saturday to reasonably play sport, and yet England put in two hours of work against Norway.
Bellingham was spared the last 10 minutes of extra time, but he had run himself into the ground before then, just as he did at altitude in Mexico City last Sunday night.
Anyone speaking on camera under those circumstances, having given so much on the pitch, deserves a significant amount of leeway.
The physical and mental effort that Bellingham has put himself through at this tournament is not normal.
This is not tiredness in the traditional sense.
Nothing that anyone says under those circumstances should be taken too literally.
At the same time, other players were tired and still reacted differently.
Harry Kane was asked about the same comments from Tuchel after the game and his response was diplomatic.
Rather than questioning Tuchels right to criticise, Kane took his managers side.
He said that yes, England can and should get better, yes, Tuchel was right to say what he did, and actually, Tuchels words were just him trying to drag it out of us before the semi.
The criticisms were not only true.
They were astute management.
Kane reiterated that point in an interview with the BBC on Monday.
When youre playing a game like that, and you get asked a question two minutes after the final whistle, and he hasnt really known what the managers really said, its like, What do you want Jude to say?' Kane said.
Its easy to try and create this division..
but its the complete opposite.
Kane has a point, but if the other members of the squad had been asked their opinion on the pitch in Miami, you imagine that more would have taken their captains approach rather than Bellinghams.
But does that in itself tell us that Bellinghams comments were somehow wrong or inappropriate? Bellinghams occasional spikiness has always been a part of his personality.
There is no point in trying to shame him into being different.
He certainly has, in the main, seemed happier and more relaxed at this tournament, with a confidence that is shining through on the pitch.
Advertisement Tuchel knows this.
He has spoken happily more than once about how Bellingham has been fully committed to the team idea at this World Cup and when he was asked about the players contribution after the Norway game, he did not water down his praise.
Enough said.
He does it every single match, he said.
World class.
But Tuchel also knows that there is a sharper edge to Bellinghams personality.
In an interview conducted on live radio last year, Tuchel spoke of an edge (that) needs to be channelled towards our opponent, rather than at referees or team-mates.
In the same interview, he said that aspects of his behaviour can be a bit repulsive, especially for those who do not see Bellingham away from the pitch (Tuchel cited the example of his own mother watching him on television).
Tuchel understood he had misstepped in that interview, later apologising and withdrawing those comments, but fears of tensions between star player and coach were hardly allayed when Bellingham was left out of Tuchels squad for World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania two months later.
It has not been uncommon to see Tuchel and Bellingham locked in discussion during hydration breaks at this tournament they were particularly animated in the games against DR Congo and Norway but Saturday night felt like the first time that Tuchel was publicly cut by Bellinghams edge.
The German surely cannot harbour any real sense of grievance or hurt pride about this.
Firstly because the last thing that England need this week is for this little moment to overshadow preparations for the small matter of a World Cup semi-final against a certain Lionel Messi and Co.
And also because candour is one of Tuchels own defining characteristics, both a strength and a potential weakness.
Perhaps more than any other leading manager in the game, Tuchel is defined by his straight-talking, his honest assessments, his lack of filter.
If you ask what he thinks about something, or why a player was not selected, he will tell you precisely why.
Radical honesty is an integral part of the deal here.
That direct style has, over the years, caused problems in his club management, especially in environments where he is with his players all the time.
When he was at Chelsea, he did not pull many punches in what he said in public about his players.
Romelu Lukaku did not last very long at Stamford Bridge after a well-publicised falling out, while Tuchels bluntness wore down some of Chelseas attacking players.
Tammy Abraham left soon after Tuchel arrived while most of the forwards with the exceptions of Mason Mount and Kai Havertz grew tired of Tuchels excessive candour.
Advertisement Even at Bayern Munich, Tuchel caused some angst by demanding a new No 6 in the summer of 2023, and explaining in great detail why he did not think Joshua Kimmich was cut out for the role.
The impression that he was putting down one of the clubs most popular and established players was politically unhelpful, to put it mildly.
Bellingham may in fact be more similar to Tuchel than any other member of the squad.
They are both by instinct dominating egos, strikingly direct and with an intense emotional and intellectual investment in Englands success.
Perhaps, in England, we are uncomfortable with people who are that forward and who say precisely what they mean.
Our national instincts are for biting our lip and not causing a fuss.
Neither Englands manager nor their best player currently fits that archetype.
It is unusual, but this dynamic has taken England all the way to the semi-finals.
Now they must hope it takes them two steps further.