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Should Bellingham hopes to earn his place back into the English best starting eleven, the smart move to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His response when he saw that the substitute board was about to come 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 consideration for the teammates who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you must accept them as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no need for a tantrum. Kane had recently scored to make England two goals ahead in a dead rubber match, there were six minutes left and the player, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for a foul on the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. In fact it would have been unwise for the head coach to not substitute him because there was a chance Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the World Cup by getting a second caution.

Shifting Focus to Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s annoyance when he clocked that his replacement was ready for another player. He flung his arms in the air and while he exchanged a handshake on his way to the touchline it was clear that the manager was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He praised his teammate for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to head in his second of the night, but his other actions was self-defeating. There was no chance arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The German has talked so much about following squad protocols and the importance of showing proper conduct.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, omitted from the previous squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the fold recently. Practically he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to his substitution as England rounded off a flawless qualification run by overcoming a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

As a result opinions are divided on if the team operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. The performance was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested from the manager early on. He has provided the team organization and direction in recent months, using a No 6, a central midfielder, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton made his first start at this level and the use of the defender as a part-time midfielder meant there was faint echo to City's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze after the break but often looked too desperate to impress. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder early on. England were ragged after halftime. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking occurred when he was dispossessed to Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the role in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner for Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, all eyes were on the midfielder. Tuchel came over to his side and pushed the player to acknowledge the English fans. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to discard Bellingham yet. But if the coach is prepared to give him the central position remains in doubt.