Anthony Barry: England’s fluid system is freeing Jude Bellingham after Rijeka rout
England assistant coach Anthony Barry said a more fluid tactical structure is allowing Jude Bellingham to flourish after England’s 7-0 victory over Croatia in Rijeka on Saturday in the Nations League. Barry made the comments following the rout and credited the new setup with giving the team’s attacking players greater licence.
Barry has reviewed the game in debriefs with Thomas Tuchel and joked, “He’s doing my head in,” as he outlined the thinking behind the altered approach in the early stages of the Nations League. The Football Association intends to use the competition as a platform into Euro 2028 when England will co-host, and Barry believes the solution begins with liberating top players to express themselves on the pitch. The Real Madrid player was described by Barry as sensational in Rijeka and also impressed in the 3-2 defeat against Spain at Wembley the Saturday before that, operating in a No 10 role with increased freedom to drift and overload wide areas.
Barry said Tuchel’s conclusion, formed partly at the World Cup when Bellingham excelled, was to avoid confining a player who can occupy several roles. “The structure [now in the Nations League] allows Jude to play more from his intuition,” Barry says, “and less from being locked down or caged in a certain position. 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.” The article notes the story of why Bellingham wore the No 22 shirt at Birmingham—because he combined No 4, No 8 and No 10 characteristics—and frames the current tactic as an extension of that versatility.
On the practical challenge of deploying such a multifaceted player, Barry added: “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.” Those comments underline the coaching staff’s intent to create in-game space for Bellingham to combine roles rather than assign him a single, fixed position.
The change is not solely about one individual; the blueprint displayed against Croatia encouraged many players to occupy unfamiliar zones. Tuchel’s plan had full-backs extremely high and wingers making zipping runs off the sides, while other players were asked to drop into unusual areas to provide cover and preserve the overall shape. There were also moments of unorthodox forward play, including Harry Kane dropping into defensive areas out of possession.
England’s counterpress was another notable feature against Croatia: if one player lost the ball, he and his teammates sought to regain it within two or three seconds, and Croatia were overwhelmed, especially in the first half, which ended with England four goals up. The management view is that the intensity and the proactive elements added to the tactical model should form part of the next tournament cycle.
Barry described the broader shift as a move to “a more principle-driven approach, which allows for more flexibility and fluidity,” adding: “But fluidity only looks good if it’s 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. With the IQ of the players we have, it’s been quite natural for them to work together, operate in different spaces. “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. “When you have players like Harry and Jude on the frontline that are really better at moving, that have this deep intuition and IQ for the game … [it is] to trust them, open up spaces for them to operate. It’s also part of the model that we’re moving forward with. We have elite penetration on the last line, whether that comes from our wingers or our full-backs. And we have fluid midfielders with Elliot [Anderson], Alex [Scott] and Declan [Rice], who are happy to move for miles.” Barry was also effusive in his praise of Kane’s professionalism and leadership and said, “He’s the best ball-striker I have ever worked with.” He has prior experience working with Cristiano Ronaldo during his time with Portugal as the assistant manager to Roberto Martínez.
Kane is primed to win his 125th cap on Tuesday night and equal Peter Shilton’s England men’s record when England face Czechia in the Nations League at Wembley.