Morgan Rogers chose a bad time to have his first quiet game for England last month, and here was his second. Now that Jude Bellingham is back, the noise for his inclusion will grow, just like the cheer that welcomed his replacement of Rogers in the second half.
It was during the 5-0 win in Latvia four weeks ago, despite goals and glory there to be had, that Rogers allowed the game to pass him by. He made way on the hour without recording a shot on goal.
He lasted 65 minutes this time but, again, it was not a performance that screamed of fabric being sewn on skin, despite Thomas Tuchel’s want for Rogers to make the jersey his own.
That much was evident by the German keeping him in the team despite Bellingham’s return and an expectation he would start. Not so. If there is to be a change at No.10, the holder will have to lose possession of it. This, for Rogers, felt like a loosening of that grip.
There were some nicer involvements in the second half, some one-touch passes that have been a trademark of his ascent to England starter under Tuchel, but by then Serbia were ragged and space had opened up.
When this was more of a contest – at least in the sense of it being goalless and with England in need of inspiration – Rogers did not provide the guile that a player in his position ought to offer.
Jude Bellingham came on and sprinkled stardust across Wembley at No 10 against Serbia
And his competitor for the spot, Morgan Rogers, failed to shine for the second game in a row
Come half-time, the 23-year-old had been much like Bellingham, a spectator. His 17 touches were the joint fewest of England’s outfield and, when he did have the ball, he did not do enough with it. There was one header that skidded wide in stoppage-time but, before that, too many of those touches were loose. Maybe there was mitigation in a hamstring concern that nearly denied him his 11th cap.
It should be said, of those appearances, it is only in the last two that his progress has flatlined. He has shown himself to be an England player, but the jury remains out on whether that should be from the start. If said jury was the Wembley crowd, it feels like Bellingham would be in. He sprinkled some stardust where only rainwater had fallen before his arrival, save for Bukayo Saka’s wonderful volleyed goal.
Where Rogers does differ from Bellingham is with his positional discipline. The Real Madrid galactico can wander like the star he believes he should be for England, and that has irked Tuchel. Rogers sticks to the domain the manager wants him to populate.
Because of that, the structure around him works. Elliot Anderson has space in midfield to dictate the tempo of the team and the game. The wingers have ownership of their flanks and Harry Kane can use Rogers as a reference point.
It is clear why Tuchel likes him and wants to pick him, but the discipline could do with some decoration to strengthen the manager’s argument. Because calls for Bellingham will intensify the closer we get to the World Cup. They will be heard in the next 48 hours even, and Bellingham will no doubt feel he deserves to start in Albania on Sunday. There was purpose about his cameo and maybe it is that competition with Rogers can be healthy.
When the latter made his debut exactly a year ago as a substitute during a 3-0 Nations League win in Greece, he marked the occasion post match by getting pictures on the touchline with his family and Bellingham.
His childhood friend was the poster boy at the time. Neither player nor many observers would have predicted that, 12 months on, it would be Rogers’ name up in lights – and on the team-sheet.
There’s more intrigue in their joust to be England’s attacking midfielder than first meets the eye
Thomas Tuchel appreciates Rogers’ positional discipline and the structure he provides
Those lights, though, have started to flicker in recent matches, and how long his name remains among the starters could well be measured in days, not months. Because if Bellingham were to start in Tirana this weekend, you get the feeling he would not give up the shirt lightly.
To that end, Tuchel’s management of the situation has been smart. He has motivated those in the team and out of it. Indeed, Rogers versus Bellingham held more intrigue than England versus Serbia. There will only be one winner, says the manager, and right now the victor remains hard to call.
