Cast your mind back, if you can, to the 13th minute of England’s opening match at Euro 2024 against Serbia.
Bukayo Saka’s cross was deflected perfectly onto the head of the onrushing Jude Bellingham, who rose above a defender to power a header into the top corner. One of the most exciting players in the world had come up trumps immediately and the possibilities seemed endless for a hugely-talented England squad.
Two games on, that brief moment of elation remains the highwater mark for the Three Lions, who have now served up two dreadfully dull draws against Denmark and Slovenia. The balloon of national excitement has well and truly deflated – and Bellingham’s alarming drop-off provides a worrying example of just how bad it’s got.
England’s global superstar – a 20-year-old who was the stand-out player as Real Madrid won the Champions League and La Liga in his debut season – has not managed to have a single shot on goal since that header against Serbia. He has gone from a much-hyped creative fulcrum to ineffective and inaccurate in quick time.
His slump was particularly alarming against Slovenia. Despite the heavy criticism after the Denmark draw, Gareth Southgate decided to stick to his guns and leave Bellingham at No.10 for Tuesday’s match in Cologne. It did not go to plan.
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It was strange to see a player known for his swaggering confidence looking so out of sorts. To his credit, Bellingham did not shy away from the ball – he still demanded it, yet every time he tried something, it fell flat. His passes went astray time and time again – and the post-match statistics, which quickly went viral, told the story.
Zero shots. Zero chances created. Zero successful tackles. Zero successful passes in the attacking third. Just 12 per cent of passes going forward. And, perhaps most starkly: 16 instances of possession lost.
Jude Bellingham gave away the ball 16 times against Slovenia (Masashi Hara/Getty Images)This very obvious shocking performance cannot have gone unnoticed by Southgate and his coaching staff. But, bafflingly, it wasn’t acted upon. So while Saka and Phil Foden were substituted, Bellingham played the full match, his status as the most likely impact-maker was seemingly unaffected by the reality of what was playing out on the pitch.
It should, of course, be noted that Bellingham is far from the only England player who has been underperforming. Harry Kane saw much more of the ball against Slovenia but struggled to make an impact. Besides putting in a dangerous cross which Kane and Conor Gallagher nearly got on the end of, Kieran Trippier was too conservative in possession.
But Bellingham not playing to his normal sky-high level is arguably the biggest problem of the lot because Southgate has handed him the keys to the team. The lack of balance in midfield stems from the Real Madrid man, who has the most important position but is not making the most of it.
It is on Gareth Southgate to find a solution to England's problems (Emin Sansar/Anadolu via Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! What did you make of Jude Bellingham's performance - and what should Gareth Southgate do about it? Comment below.
Since scoring that goal against Serbia there have been no late runs into the box. There has been far too little link-up play with Foden, Kane and Saka. And he hasn’t combined well with Declan Rice and Gallagher behind him either. That England are so reliant on a 20-year-old is not Bellingham's fault. It is Southgate's.
Cole Palmer made a clear difference off the bench, but Southgate’s innate conservatism is likely to guarantee Bellingham’s place in the starting line-up at 5pm on Sunday in Gelsenkirchen. If he does get another chance, he needs to grab it with both hands.
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