🔗 Share this article

Should Bellingham wants to earn his place into England’s best starting eleven, he would be wise to cut out the dramatics. The way he reacted when he saw that his number was going up following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the players who substitute on," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you need to comply as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for an outburst. The captain had recently scored to make England two goals ahead in a dead rubber qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and he, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for bringing down Armando Broja. It was not a debatable decision. In fact it would have been unwise for the manager to not substitute him considering there was a chance Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the first match of the World Cup by picking up a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention on Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s annoyance upon understanding that his replacement was ready for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and while he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the bench it was clear that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Kane to nod home his second goal, but the rest was self-defeating. It is not as if protesting was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, omitted from the previous squad, has been under scrutiny upon his return to the squad recently. Practically he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to his substitution as the side completed a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

It means the jury is out on whether the squad operate most effectively with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested from the manager early on. He has provided the team structure and clarity lately, using a No 6, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different in this match. The young defender was made his England debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup at this level and the positioning of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder created a similar look to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for Eze during the second half but often looked trying too hard. Several hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash against an opponent in the early stages. England's play was messy for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution came after an opponent took the ball to Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Finally the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who appeared more comfortable to the role that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka delivered a corner kick for Harry Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks will play a key role next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, all eyes were on the midfielder. The coach approached from behind and pushed the player in the direction of the away supporters. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard Bellingham yet. But if he is willing to offer him centre stage remains in doubt.