Thomas Tuchel says he is considering playing Jude Bellingham as a centre forward in the World Cup after trialing the move in the friendly win over Costa Rica in Orlando.
England manager Tuchel has been wrestling with the ideas of how to understudy captain Harry Kane for months and believes a change of role for Bellingham could be one of the solutions.
When he took Kane off after an hour of his team’s 3-0 stroll against Costa Rica in Florida, Tuchel chose not to send on a striker such as Ollie Watkins or Ivan Toney but pushed Bellingham into the number nine position instead.
Asked whether he would do the same once the World Cup starts, Tuchel said: ‘Maybe we’ll see it in the tournament.
‘It’s easy. Jude can play as the number nine almost like in a free role. He can drop into midfield, drop into half spaces, start more dribbling. Harry then starts more assisting.’
Ahead of next week’s opening Group L game against Croatia in Dallas, Tuchel must decide whether Bellingham or Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers fills the number ten role behind Kane.
Thomas Tuchel admits he is considering using Jude Bellingham as a striker at the World Cup
But he added: ‘Jude has the personality to score, to be decisive and to arrive in the box so it is an option to play with him and Morgan Rogers. I wanted to see that for a few minutes at least. Let’s see.
‘Ollie Watkins was also good when he came in, Ivan Toney was good against New Zealand and trains at a high level so it’s good.
‘I have some options.’
Bellingham produced one of his best England performances on Wednesday, even if he did have to back down when keen to take a penalty he had helped to win in the second half. On the say-so of Tuchel’s assistant Anthony Barry, he handed the ball to Anthony Gordon.
‘Anthony was on the list as second penalty taker but because of all the changes it was not so clear,’ explained Tuchel.
‘It was our responsibility to make it clearer so it took a while but Anthony is the taker and he took it.’
Gordon himself enjoyed a progressive game against Costa Rica and appears to have taken a step forward as he looks to win the battle for the spot on the left side with Marcus Rashford.
The 25-year-old has just moved to Barcelona from Newcastle and appears to have a spring in his step out here in America.
Anthony Gordon impressed against Costa Rica, with Tuchel believing the winger has had a confidence boost after securing his move to Barcelona
‘I think he has a confidence boost because of the step to Barcelona but I hope it doesn’t change his style of play because I’m very sure that’s what Barcelona expect from him,’ said Tuchel.
‘He’s strongest if he plays humble and like a physical winger. That’s, for me, his key strengths – acceleration, deceleration and another intense run, another intense run, helping the counter press, working defence.
‘He is painful to defend against, especially in the heat here.’
England were due to play a 60-minute behind closed doors friendly today before flying to their World Cup base in Kansas City on Saturday.
Tuchel says he hasn’t imposed any particular restrictions on his players while they enjoy some down time.
‘They can almost do what they want,’ he said.
‘For example, they can’t take a flight. They can almost do what they want but we said no flights because hopefully we have a lot of flights through the tournament.
‘No-one has asked for a flight.
‘They are adults. They are determined as well so the trust is not only a one way street.
‘We expect them to live up to the trust, the responsibility we give them.
‘Everything I have seen of them is a determined group who have a dream but know what it takes and I have full belief and trust that they will not gamble on that.’
One player who may have business to attend to is midfielder Elliot Anderson. Outstanding on Wednesday, the Nottingham Forest midfielder has been subject of another bid from Manchester City – this one in excess of £100m.
Tuchel has not spoken to Elliot Anderson about being the subject of an over £100m bid from Man City
‘I won’t speak to him about it,’ said Tuchel, who has placed no restrictions on his players conducting transfer business while in camp.
‘My assistant coach spoke with him about it but I won’t. It should push him because it’s proof of what he’s capable to do and what level he can perform. At the moment it seems like a push for him.
‘Even if a transfer is completed, hopefully he stays the same person. Nothing will change overnight with him. He’s not a new player.
‘People will try to hang around his neck this price but in reality nothing changes.
‘He just changes the club, that’s the rules of the game. Hopefully he just stays the same – a humble, determined, hungry football player. Absolutely, he is very level-headed.’
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