Jude Bellingham has admitted that it is not easy to play the style of football England want to in the intense heat of the American summer ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
The Three Lions lethargically beat New Zealand in their penultimate warm-up friendly ahead of the tournament, winning 1-0 in Miami thanks to a Harry Kane goal.
The Bayern Munich striker broke the deadlock on the stroke of halftime after nodding home Djed Spence’s cross. Thomas Tuchel’s men struggled to break down the All Whites until, and couldn’t build on their lead in the second half as they trudged through the game.
Bellingham admits England tactics ‘difficult’ to pull off at World Cup
The match was a primer for what England will have to deal with throughout the World Cup, with the heat only expected to get worse as it goes on. Bellingham says the side want to play an energetic style of football, but the climate will force them into managing games in order to see out positives results.
“We are going to have to manage the game well at times,” the Real Madrid star told ITV. “We want to play that full force, high pressing, high tempo football which is difficult in the heat and with the pitches.
“Both sets of players made a great effort to get out of the game what we had to do before the tournament so we are pleased.”
Tuchel said that the England squad will “acclimatise to the humidity and the sun” during their time in North America, while Kane added that the New Zealand games was “preparation for what’s to come”.
“We wanted to be here for the heat first and foremost which I thought we dealt with pretty well,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“The pitch wasn’t great, so having to deal with that which is going to happen in the tournament. We like to play quick, we like to play sharp. It wasn’t always possible on that pitch, a bit sticky, a bit dry.
“This is day five into our camp. This is just another step in our preparation and we are just building for bigger things in 10 days. Good to get the result, we always want to win of course.”
Bellingham added that England have a “good mix” of youth and experience that can help the team compete at the business end of the competition.
“We have quality in abundance. Senior players like the skipper, Hendo (Jordan Henderson), (John) Stones and Picks (Jordan Pickford) we can go a long way.”
Bellingham says he is in good shape after coming through a frustrating campaign marked by injury problems.
“I’m feeling good off the back of a tough season with a couple of injuries for the first time in my career. I feel strong, I feel better than I did at the start of the season. I’m feeling excited and ready.”
