Bellingham Has to Eliminate the Petulance to Secure a Key Place In Tuchel.

Should Bellingham hopes to fight his way into England’s strongest squad, the smart move to do away with the dramatics. His response when he saw that the substitute board was being shown after an evening of inconsistency in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the squad members who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you need to comply as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a strop. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it England two goals ahead in an inconsequential qualifier, there were six minutes left and the player, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for a foul on the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Indeed it would have been foolish for Tuchel to not substitute him considering it was possible the midfielder would rule himself out of the first match of the tournament by getting a second caution.

Shifting Focus to Himself

However, the player made himself the center of attention. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s disappointment as he realized that he would be substituted for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and while he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the bench there was no doubt that the head coach did not appreciate it.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to head in the team's second, but his other actions was counterproductive. There was no chance complaining was going to alter the decision. The coach has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the value of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, left out of the team last month, has been under scrutiny upon his return to the fold this month. In effect he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to his substitution as the national team rounded off a flawless qualification run by overcoming a feisty challenge from Albania.

The System and the Setup

This implies the jury is out on how England function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The performance was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested from the manager at the start. He has given the team structure and clarity in recent months, employing a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel in this match. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton started for the first time for England and the positioning of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was faint echo to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but at times seemed trying too hard. He made many hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player in the early stages. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after he was dispossessed by Broja and committed a foul on Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength made the difference. Tuchel introduced Foden, who appeared more naturally fitted to the spot occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka delivered a corner kick for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that set pieces will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the player change. After the final whistle, all eyes were on the midfielder. Tuchel came over to his side and directed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the travelling England fans. The bond between them is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon Bellingham yet. But if the coach is prepared to grant him a starring role is still uncertain.