🔗 Share this article

For Bellingham to wants to earn his place back into England’s top starting eleven, the smart move to eliminate the nonsense. The way he reacted when he saw that his number was being shown after a match of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the squad members who come in," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it being a professional."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for a strop. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions 2-0 up in an inconsequential fixture, with only six minutes remaining and the player, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for a foul on an opponent. It was not a questionable change. Actually it might have been reckless for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that there was a chance he would rule himself out of the first match of the tournament by receiving a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the player's disappointment when he clocked that he would be substituted for a teammate. He threw his arms up and even though he exchanged a handshake while heading to the sideline there was no doubt that the head coach was not impressed.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for providing the assist for the captain to score his second of the night, but everything else was harmful to his cause. There was no chance arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The coach has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the value of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, not included in the previous squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the team recently. In effect his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to his substitution as the national team rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

As a result the jury is out on if the squad function at their best with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach in the beginning. He has provided the team organization and direction in recent months, employing a holding player, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, the midfielder started for the first time for England and the use of Stones as a makeshift midfielder gave a faint echo to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze during the second half but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. Several poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England were ragged during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after an opponent took the ball from Broja and fouled the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength made the difference. Tuchel introduced Foden, who looked more naturally fitted to the position in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka delivered a corner kick for Harry Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the player change. At the end, the focus was on him. Tuchel came over to his side and pushed Bellingham in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on the player just yet. However, whether he is willing to offer him the central position is not guaranteed.