🔗 Share this article

Should Bellingham hopes to fight his way once again into England’s strongest squad, it would be smart to do away with the dramatics. His reaction after noticing that the substitute board was about to come up following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I hold to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect for the teammates who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you must accept them when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no need for a strop. The captain had just put the national team leading by two in an inconsequential fixture, with only six minutes remaining and the player, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for a foul on Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Actually it might have been reckless for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that it was possible the midfielder would be suspended of the first match of the World Cup by picking up a second caution.

Shifting Focus to Himself

But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the young midfielder's disappointment when he clocked that he would be substituted for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the sideline it was obvious that the head coach was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for providing the assist for Kane to head in his second goal, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. It is not as if protesting was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the importance of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

He, not included in the team last month, has faced close inspection after returning to the squad recently. Practically he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to being taken off as the side wrapped up a flawless qualification run by seeing off a tough opposition from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

It means the jury is out on whether England operate most effectively with Bellingham in the team. The performance was not definitive. Tuchel tried new things from the manager early on. Under him, England have gained the team organization and direction lately, building with a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and specialist wingers, but it felt different in this match. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton started for the first time at this level and the positioning of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder created a faint echo to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but at times seemed trying too hard. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player in the early stages. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. One Albania chance came after Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution occurred when he lost the ball by Broja and committed a foul on Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength was decisive. The coach brought on Foden, who appeared more naturally fitted to the role in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Saka. Later Saka delivered a corner kick for Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

However, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of the winger's delivery for the second goal was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. At the end, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel walked up to his side and guided the player in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to discard Bellingham yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to offer him a starring role is still uncertain.