England beat Serbia 2-0, but Tuchel still left Bellingham on the bench.

The biggest noise at Wembley on that rainy night didn't come from Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze's goals. It erupted when Jude Bellingham rose from the bench and walked onto the pitch. Despite the fierce protests, Thomas Tuchel remained steadfast: Bellingham was not part of England's current starting lineup.

Key moments from the England 2-0 Serbia match.

England achieved their objective with a 2-0 victory over Serbia in the World Cup qualifiers. The opening goal came from a moment typical of Tuchel's style: Nico O'Reilly pressed, forcing goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic to make a mistake; the ball bounced perfectly for Saka to unleash a delicate volley.

Under new coach Veljko Paunovic, Serbia showed a completely different face compared to their 0-5 defeat in Belgrade in September. They reorganized their defense, waited for opportunities to counter-attack, and nearly scored from a backheel by Dusan Vlahovic. However, Eberechi Eze sealed the victory with a beautiful finish late in the game, making it 2-0.

Tuchel, Bellingham, and system choices.

Tuchel is not the type of manager to be easily swayed. The bright red "mind-altering" boots – resembling Crocs – that appeared this week, or the wave of criticism from the Wembley stands, did not change his mind. The message to Bellingham was clear: this could be the core squad for next summer's World Cup, and currently he is not part of the starting lineup.

The relationship between Tuchel and the fans was already strained. Earlier in Latvia, after he complained about the dull atmosphere at Wembley, the fans responded with a sarcastic question:"Have we made enough noise for you yet?"At Wembley, the shouts"Jude!"Bellingham's performance was even more impressive than the goals scored by Saka and Eze.

A "worker" philosophy instead of "Galacticos"

Tuchel's system prioritizes structure and discipline. Morgan Rogers is energetic, Reece James provides stability on the right flank — these pieces fulfill their roles perfectly. This explains why the German coach maintains his position, even when he has individuals who can make a difference, such as Bellingham or Eze.

Human resources and missed opportunities

A match with little significance in the league standings is often an opportunity for experimentation, but Tuchel didn't go too far. Marcus Rashford was given a starting spot, moving actively but his touches lacked confidence — in contrast to the explosive form he's shown at Barcelona.

In goal, Dean Henderson and James Trafford haven't had a chance yet. The risk of an inexperienced group of reserve goalkeepers arises if Jordan Pickford gets injured, something that briefly held Wembley's breath in the first half. In attack, although Tuchel said he hasn't closed the door on Danny Welbeck, he still called up a squad without a real backup option for Harry Kane, especially with Ollie Watkins playing while unwell.

Tuchel's series of results protects

No decision is perfect, but one statistic is in Tuchel's favor: seven consecutive wins in the qualifiers, without conceding a single goal. His experience understanding the English football ecosystem from his time at Chelsea allowed him to speak frankly about Bellingham's situation — not hiding behind the story of his recovery from surgery. Instead, Tuchel openly criticized the midfielder's "excessive habits" and questioned his "character."

As long as England keep winning and keeping clean sheets, Tuchel has grounds to defend his choice — even if the crowd at Wembley continues to chant Bellingham's name every time he warms up on the touchline.

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