Bellingham Must Drop the Nonsense to Secure a Key Place With Coach Tuchel.

Should Bellingham wants to force his way into the English strongest squad, he would be wise to do away with the nonsense. His response upon realizing that the substitute board was going up following a night of uneven play in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the teammates who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a strop. Kane had just put England leading by two in a dead rubber fixture, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for bringing down the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. In fact it would have been foolish for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that it was possible Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the first match of the World Cup by picking up a second caution.

Drawing Attention to Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the player's frustration as he realized that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the touchline there was no doubt that the manager was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for delivering the cross for the captain to nod home his second of the night, but everything else was self-defeating. It's not like protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has repeatedly emphasized following squad protocols and the importance of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, left out of the team last month, has been under scrutiny upon his return to the team this month. Practically his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him with his response to coming off the pitch as England wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a tough opposition from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

It means the jury is out on if the team function at their best including Bellingham. What we saw was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested by the coach in the beginning. He has given the squad structure and clarity in recent months, employing a No 6, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. The young defender was made his England debut, the midfielder made his first start internationally and the positioning of the defender as a part-time midfielder created a faint echo to City's historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze after the break but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player in the early stages. The team looked disjointed after halftime. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card was shown after he was dispossessed to Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

Ultimately England’s depth made the difference. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who looked better suited to the position that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka provided a set-piece for Kane to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for the second goal was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, all eyes were on the midfielder. The coach approached from behind and directed the player towards the away supporters. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard the player just yet. Yet whether the coach is prepared to grant him the central position remains in doubt.