England managers perceived World Cup disconnect with star Jude Bellingham may not be what it looks like

ARLINGTON, Texas — Regarding the clash between England manager Thomas Tuchel and Jude Bellingham, there are two angles to consider.First, the melodrama.Remember, there is history here.

Tuchel dropped Bellingham from England’s squad in October, after using the word “repulsive” in August to describe Bellingham’s behavior on the field.The manager later apologized, saying he’d used the word unintentionally as a result of English being his second language.Still, it’s hard to think those moments didn’t underpin Bellingham’s response Saturday when asked about Tuchel’s comments in the wake of England’s 2-1 win over Norway, in which the manager said in an on-field interview that his team had been “sloppy” and “lucky” to escape the quarterfinal.“Maybe, or maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in these types of conditions against Erling Haaland, [Martin] Ødegaard, [Antonio] Nusa, [Alexander] Sørloth,” Bellingham said in the mixed zone when asked to respond to Tuchel.

“That’s not an easy team to play against.I think we tried to create a positive environment.

We should continue that going into the final four.I can’t speak highly enough of the lads.

… Sometimes you have to win dirty and we did that again tonight.”The perceived dig at Tuchel’s playing career raised eyebrows, as did the obvious lack of synergy between manager and star player.In Tuchel’s defense, he repeatedly praised his team’s mentality in the on-field interview and, given the chance to expand later in a news conference, sounded far less upset about the performance.

It’s easy for such nuances to get lost in the shuffle, especially amid a chaotic and emotional environment within an hour after the final whistle.“Not at all [upset] with the result and not with the team,” Tuchel said.“Maybe to be more specific … there’s no doubt I’m proud and I’m happy.

I feel so connected to this team because they just do whatever it takes to take th...