Euro 2024 column: Why Jude Bellingham needs to be careful

England View – Marc Iles

JUDE Bellingham’s bicycle kick will be a moment replayed a million times by kids in playgrounds this week, but England’s hero also has his own youthful flaws.

That equaliser, followed quickly by Harry Kane’s winning header in extra time, gave Gareth Southgate’s side an extra life at the Euros. It might just be the spark that ignites the tournament for them too.

We can all bask in its glory, watch video clips of beer being sprayed into the air across fan parks, dream of what it might mean in a fortnight’s time, but let us not pretend that it has been perfect.

A minute before the goal and with a bewildered Ivan Toney jogging on from the touchline, Southgate’s time as England manager looked done. He was gearing up for the biggest savaging since Roy Hodgson’s nightmare exit to Iceland in 2016.

You might say Bellingham had earned the right to have a post-match pop at the critics, or to put it more bluntly the “rubbish” which he felt had been said and written about the team in their first three games. But that moment of cockiness didn’t feel wise and I would be surprised if more experienced members of the team or his manager would not have had a word in his ear afterwards.

It seemed a cheap shot aimed in the direction of those who had jeered the lifeless performance against Slovenia or shown their disgust at half time in Gelsenkirchen. The paying supporters. Unfortunately for the young man, there is only one winner there.

Bellingham also talked of the pressure which came with playing for England, which would be understandable were he not to play his club football at Real Madrid – arguably the world’s biggest goldfish bowl. If he thinks the reaction to a couple of poor displays at the Euros was over the top, wait until things are not going so well at the Bernabeu.

It’s all very well saying ‘we told you so’ but there were a few moments when the score-line looked less favourable where the body language of Bellingham and a few other England players did not scream ‘belief’ and whilst we all desperately hope that Sunday’s dramatic victory can pave the way for better, it is still entirely right to say that Southgate has issues to correct.

Tournament football has been like this for England. It sometimes requires a moment of genius – a spinning David Platt volley against Belgium, for example – to click things into gear and allow the revisionism to commence. And I would be more than happy to look back and chuckle at our concerns in a few weeks if things improve from here, or if, God forbid, we won the thing.

Right now, Bellingham and Co should take all the positives they can get from that victory, rest up, and know they will have to play much better to beat Switzerland in the quarter final.

England's John Stones (left), Cole Palmer and Marc Guehi after the final whistle (Image: PA)

England View – Marc Iles

LOSING Marc Guehi for the quarter-final might just force some necessary change to the England line-up and shape.

So far, and despite looking at times woefully lopsided, Gareth Southgate has remained loyal to the 4-2-3-1 system, with the Crystal Palace centre-back one of his most consistent performers.

Guehi will be suspended against the Swiss, however, with Kieran Trippier also a doubt, and that opens up the possibility that England could play with a back three and wing-backs to effectively match up their opponents on Saturday.

It is amazing how often teams stumble across the right formula in tournaments, and as England chased the game in the second half against Slovakia, they shifted Bukayo Saka over to left wing-back and instantly looked more balanced.

Luke Shaw would be the ideal option, but it looks unlikely he will be fit, so would Southgate consider the same move again, perhaps with Trent Alexander-Arnold down the right? I can think of worse plans.

Phil Foden has really struggled to get into the first four games but should Saka be played down the left, he and Jude Bellingham could be played together behind Harry Kane in the same way Dan Ndoye and Ruben Vargas do with Breel Embolo for Switzerland. Cole Palmer could also come into that conversation too.

I understand the clamour to see Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon given a chance, and he would give some natural width on the left if England stick with the same shape. Personally, I think it would be a crime to waste Foden’s talent on the bench.

It does seem like the right time for Southgate to make changes, build on the positive momentum generated by the Slovakia win. Some of his big players have looked tired and this might be a chance to give some rest whilst also reviving some of the attacking flair that has been so desperately missing so far.

Spain's Dani Olmo (centre) celebrates with Spain's Mikel Merino (left) and Nico Williams (right) (Image: PA)

Euro View - Dan Barnes.

The scoreline doesn’t always tell the full story in football, and that felt like the case as Georgia bowed out against Spain.

For a little while, it seemed like they might just be able to pull off something special when Robin Le Normand diverted poked Otar Kakabadze into his own net.

But normal service was resumed when Rodri curled home once of his trademark finishes from the edge of the box. Fabian Ruiz, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo all struck in the second half as Spain’s quality shone through, but Georgia were very much alive in the tie until the 75th minute.

The opening 45 minutes were brilliant to watch. Fans who had only seen the scoreline might have assumed Georgia had nicked a fluky goal and then parked the bus, but that was far from the case.

Willy Sagnol’s side posed a major threat on the break, playing with the swagger that won over so many people during the group stage.

It genuinely felt like they were about to go 2-0 up at times, and who knows how the game would have panned out if a second goal had arrived.

Spain proved to be too powerful after the break but Georgia can certainly hold their heads high. They have been a breath of fresh air since the start of the tournament and I am sure I won’t be the only spectator sad to see them exit the competition.

As for the Spaniards, they continue to look rather impressive in the final third and are definitely one of the main contenders to go all the way.

In a strange way, going behind on the night might have actually been a good thing for Luis de la Fuente’s side, who didn’t have to deal with any adversity during the group ties as they maintained a 100 per cent record without conceding a single goal.