England’s assistant coach Anthony Barry believes a more fluid, principle-driven structure is unlocking the full potential of Jude Bellingham, after the Real Madrid midfielder starred in a 7-0 Nations League win over Croatia in Rijeka. Barry has spent enough time poring over the details with Thomas Tuchel that he can joke at his manager’s expense, and he sees in the new set-up the beginnings of an answer to the question that has followed England since their World Cup semi-final exit against Argentina.
Bellingham played in the No 10 role but with greater licence to drift and to overload on either side. By Barry’s account he was equally impressive in the 3-2 defeat by Spain at Wembley the previous Saturday. The England management appear to have settled on a conclusion first formed at the World Cup, where Bellingham excelled: for a player who can comfortably operate in so many positions, it may be better not to give him a fixed one at all. The story of the No 22 shirt he wore at his first club, Birmingham, is well known, chosen because he was a No 4, a No 8 and a No 10 rolled into one.
“The structure allows Jude to play more from his intuition, and less from being locked down or caged in a certain position,” Barry said. “It allows him to roam and operate in spaces in which he thinks he can be dangerous and so far it’s brought out the best in him. It is a challenge because Jude can play in any of those positions comfortably and on a high level. So the challenge is to give him a space where he can do it all at once inside of one game. Right now, in a short sample, it seems like we found a solution to unlock all of the potential that Jude has. But we have to continue.”
The shift is not built around Bellingham alone. Against Croatia, Tuchel had his full-backs extremely high and his wingers making zipping runs off the sides, while players dropped into unusual areas to provide cover and used their game intelligence to keep the overall shape intact. Harry Kane was seen dropping into defensive spaces out of possession, the kind of areas most No 9s would never enter. England’s counterpress was ferocious, with the player who lost the ball and his teammates looking to win it back within two or three seconds, and Croatia were overwhelmed — the first half ended with England four goals up.
Barry described the change as a move to a more principle-driven approach that allows for more flexibility and fluidity, while cautioning that fluidity only looks good when it is anchored by real principles. “There is always a danger in international football with such a lack of time to prepare that if you go for this fluid model it can look quite messy,” he said. “With the IQ of the players we have, it’s been quite natural for them to work together, operate in different spaces.” He framed it as an evolution rather than a clean break: “It’s not about starting new, it’s about continuation and adding stuff on top. It’s less prescribed, less fixed in the idea of: ‘You play here, you play there.’ It’s more interchanges of position. We feel it suits this group of players and is the best way to break down opposing blocks.”
Barry also pointed to the “elite penetration on the last line” supplied by England’s wingers or full-backs, and to fluid midfielders in Elliot Anderson, Alex Scott and Declan Rice who, in his words, are happy to move for miles.
Attention now turns to Czechia at Wembley on Tuesday night, when Kane is primed to win his 125th cap and equal Peter Shilton’s record for England men. Barry was effusive about Kane’s professionalism, leadership, selflessness and lack of ego, noting that the captain is happy to track back and do the dirty work, and he offered a striking line of praise: “He’s the best ball-striker I have ever worked with.” Barry worked with Cristiano Ronaldo during his time as assistant manager to Roberto Martínez with Portugal.
The Nations League campaign is viewed at the Football Association as a slingshot into Euro 2028, which England will co-host, and Barry’s optimism extends well beyond a single result against Croatia. The question that remains is whether the freedoms England have embraced can help them take the decisive step after the emotion of their World Cup semi-final finish.