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Should Bellingham aims to fight his way once again into England’s strongest starting eleven, he would be wise to do away with the nonsense. The way he reacted when he saw that his number was about to come up after an evening of uneven play in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the squad members who come in," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for an outburst. Kane had just put England two goals ahead in a meaningless qualifier, there were six minutes left and he, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for fouling an opponent. It was not a controversial substitution. Indeed it would have been foolish for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that it was possible Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the tournament by picking up a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s disappointment as he realized that he would be substituted for another player. He flung his arms in the air and while he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the sideline there was no doubt that the head coach was displeased.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to nod home his second goal, but his other actions was counterproductive. There was no chance arguing was going to alter the decision. The coach has repeatedly emphasized following squad protocols and the value of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, omitted from the team last month, is being watched carefully since coming back to the squad this month. Practically his place has been in question and he hasn't helped his case with his response to coming off the pitch as England completed a flawless qualification run by defeating a feisty challenge from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

This implies it's unclear on if England function at their best when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was not definitive. Tuchel tried new things from the manager at the start. Under him, England have gained England structure and clarity over the past few matches, employing a holding player, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed versus Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup at this level and the positioning of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder created a faint echo to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for Eze during the second half but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. He made many poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. England were ragged during most of the second period. One Albania chance resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card occurred when he was dispossessed by Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end England’s depth proved crucial. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the spot that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka provided a set-piece for the captain to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the player change. At the end, everyone was watching him. The coach approached from behind and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the English fans. The bond between them is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on Bellingham yet. But if the coach is prepared to give him centre stage is not guaranteed.