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For Bellingham to hopes to force his way back into England’s best team, the smart move to cut out the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted after noticing that his number was about to come up following a night of inconsistency in Tirana was not good enough.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the squad members who come in," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it being a professional."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. The captain had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions 2-0 up in an inconsequential fixture, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for bringing down the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. In fact it would have been unwise for the manager to leave Bellingham on given that there was a chance Bellingham would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the competition by picking up a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus on Himself

However, the player made himself the center of attention. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s disappointment as he realized that his replacement was ready for another player. He flung his arms in the air and although he exchanged a handshake on his way to the touchline it was obvious that the manager was not impressed.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to head in his second of the night, but the rest was harmful to his cause. There was no chance arguing was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has talked so much about following squad protocols and the value of acting professionally.

Facing Examination

Bellingham, left out of the previous squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the fold recently. Essentially he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the side rounded off a ideal group stage by seeing off a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

This implies the jury is out on whether the squad perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach in the beginning. He has given England structure and clarity over the past few matches, employing a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel versus Albania. The young defender was made his England debut, Wharton made his first start internationally and the use of John Stones as a part-time midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to Manchester City’s 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player in the early stages. England's play was messy during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card was shown after an opponent took the ball to Broja and brought down the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally England’s depth made the difference. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who looked more naturally fitted to the position occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka provided a set-piece for Kane to score the first goal. It highlighted that corners and free-kicks will play a key role next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was a little lost amid the drama of the player change. After the final whistle, everyone was watching the midfielder. Tuchel walked up behind him and directed Bellingham to acknowledge the travelling England fans. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to abandon the player just yet. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to offer him the central position is still uncertain.