‘Bellingham must be taught to take criticism on the chin if England disappoint’
Jude Bellingham bellowed ‘Who else?’ when he scored that wonder goal to keep England in Euro 2024.
Then he came out with the line “After moments like that, it’s always nice to throw something back to some people, I suppose”. Good job Bellingham is a better footballer than he is a reader of a room.
The Three Lions had survived being slung out of Germany by the skin of their teeth thanks, admittedly, to Bellingham’s brilliance. But why did he feel he could then go on the attack after they beat a team ranked 40 places below them in the world?
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It’s bizarre. But maybe understandable. Bellingham has recently just turned 21. Since he’s been a teenager everyone has been – quite rightly – hailing him as a special player.
In the last year, he’s won La Liga and the Champions League. Some of the best players never win either. So it must be unnatural for him to get some criticism.
Do you think Jude Bellingham is right to fire back at England’s critics? Let us know in the comments section below
(Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
He will learn from it and his riposte will be seen as trivial soon enough. Certainly if England somehow go all the way and win the Euros. His overhead kick in the last minute will go down in folklore.
It could end up being the moment that turns this tournament around in Gareth Southgate and Co’s favour. That would be the way for Bellingham to ‘throw something back to some people’. Beating Slovakia certainly isn’t.
Bellingham will learn that now he’s on a pedestal and THE MAN for England then there will be fingers pointed when he doesn’t deliver on the pitch. He obviously did with his goal but the rest of his performance against Slovakia, and against Denmark and Slovenia were more than worthy of criticism.
Bellingham will have plenty of moments when he’s hailed as a hero. He’s had a load already at club football. Playing for Real Madrid will mean he will get some heat soon enough, too. That’s for sure.
But he has to take it on the chin when the criticism comes for not playing his best. It’s the lofty standards he has set. All part of the learning process for a player who showed with his goal that he is special.
(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
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Manchester United announced mass job cuts this week and it brought out the worst of social media.
Rival fans of United used it as a stick to beat the club with, some – note the word some – supporters of the Old Trafford club championed the decision. Many gave little consideration to the 250 people set to lose their job.
That’s the real sad thing that whether or not United’s workforce was bloated or how much slashing a players’ wage would save instead, more people in the area where Old Trafford and the club’s offices reside will soon be heading to the Job Centre.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to improve the area of Trafford by revamping the stadium and bringing in bars and restaurants. But he’s also now set to force 250 people out of work and potentially unable to have as much spare cash to spend in any new stadium or its surrounding retail outlets.
(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
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