🔗 Share this article

For Bellingham to wants to fight his way once again into England’s top team, the smart move to do away with the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted after noticing that he was about to come up after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the squad members who come in," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for a strop. Harry Kane had just put the national team two goals ahead in a meaningless match, with only six minutes remaining and the player, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for fouling an opponent. This was hardly a questionable change. Indeed it would have been foolish for the head coach to not substitute him considering it was possible he would be suspended of the initial fixture of the World Cup by receiving a second caution.

Drawing Attention to Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the player's frustration as he realized that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and although he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the touchline it was obvious that the head coach was not impressed.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to head in his second goal, but the rest was counterproductive. It is not as if complaining was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the necessity of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

He, left out of the previous squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the fold in the current camp. Essentially he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case with his response to his substitution as the side completed a flawless qualification run by overcoming a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

It means the jury is out on if England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The performance was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things by the coach early on. He has provided the team a clear system in recent months, using a No 6, a central midfielder, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed against Albania. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton started for the first time for England and the use of the defender as a part-time midfielder created a passing resemblance to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for his teammate after the break but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. He made many poorly executed passes. A pointless clash against an opponent in the early stages. England were ragged for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking occurred when he was dispossessed by Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally England’s depth made the difference. Tuchel threw on Foden, who seemed better suited to the position in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka delivered a corner for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks will play a key role next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

However, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was a little lost amid the drama of the substitution incident. At the end, everyone was watching the midfielder. Tuchel walked up to his side and directed the player in the direction of the English fans. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to discard him at this stage. But if the coach is prepared to give him centre stage is not guaranteed.