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For Bellingham to aims to force his way back into the English strongest squad, it would be smart to do away with the nonsense. His response when he saw that he was going up following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the players who come in," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions two goals ahead in a dead rubber qualifier, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for bringing down the Albanian striker. It was not a questionable change. Actually it would have been unwise for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering there was a risk the midfielder would rule himself out of the opening game of the World Cup by receiving a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention on Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s frustration as he realized that he was going to make way for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and although he exchanged a handshake on his way to the sideline it was obvious that the head coach was displeased.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to head in his second of the night, but everything else was harmful to his cause. It's not like complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the necessity of acting professionally.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, left out of the team last month, has been under scrutiny after returning to the squad in the current camp. Essentially he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to his substitution as the national team completed a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

This implies opinions are divided on if the team function at their best when Bellingham plays. The performance was inconclusive. There was experimentation from the manager in the beginning. Under him, England have gained the squad organization and direction in recent months, employing a holding player, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed against Albania. The young defender was made his England debut, Adam Wharton started for the first time internationally and the use of Stones as a makeshift midfielder created a similar look to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for his teammate after the break but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent in the early stages. England's play was messy after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution occurred when he lost the ball by Broja and brought down the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel introduced Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the spot in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. In time Saka delivered a set-piece for the captain to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks will play a key role at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked due to the fuss of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, the focus was on Bellingham. Tuchel came over from behind and guided the player in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their connection is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard Bellingham yet. Yet whether he is willing to grant him a starring role is still uncertain.