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For Bellingham to hopes to force his way into the English strongest squad, the smart move to cut out the nonsense. His response after noticing that his number was about to come up after an evening of inconsistency in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you must accept them when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Kane had just put the national team leading by two in a meaningless fixture, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for bringing down the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. In fact it might have been reckless for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that it was possible he would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the competition by getting a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention on Himself

But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's frustration upon understanding that his replacement was ready for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the touchline there was no doubt that Tuchel was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated Rashford for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to head in his second of the night, but the rest was counterproductive. There was no chance protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has repeatedly emphasized following squad protocols and the necessity of acting professionally.

Facing Examination

Bellingham, left out of the previous squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the team in the current camp. Practically he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to his substitution as the side rounded off a ideal group stage by seeing off a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

This implies the jury is out on if England perform optimally when Bellingham plays. The performance was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel early on. He has given the squad organization and direction over the past few matches, building with a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton started for the first time internationally and the positioning of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for Eze during the second half but at times seemed overly eager to shine. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player in the early stages. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after he was dispossessed from Broja and brought down the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the bench quality proved crucial. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who appeared more comfortable to the spot in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Saka. Later Saka delivered a set-piece for the captain to break the deadlock. It highlighted that dead-ball situations are going to be vital next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford's cross for the second goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, all eyes were on Bellingham. The coach approached from behind and directed Bellingham towards the travelling England fans. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to discard Bellingham yet. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to offer him the central position is still uncertain.