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Should Bellingham aims to force his way back into the English top team, it would be smart to cut out the nonsense. His response upon realizing that he was going up following a night of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the squad members who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a strop. Kane had just put the Three Lions 2-0 up in a meaningless qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and the player, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for a foul on an opponent. It was not a controversial substitution. Actually it would have been foolish for Tuchel to leave Bellingham on given that there was a chance Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the competition by picking up a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus to Himself

But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the player's disappointment upon understanding that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and although he exchanged a handshake while heading to the touchline it was obvious that the head coach was not impressed.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He praised Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to head in his second goal, but everything else was counterproductive. It is not as if complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the value of showing proper conduct.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, left out of the previous squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the squad recently. Essentially he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to his substitution as the national team wrapped up a flawless qualification run by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.

The System and the Setup

This implies opinions are divided on how the team function at their best with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was not definitive. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel in the beginning. He has given the team organization and direction lately, employing a No 6, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but it felt different against Albania. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, Wharton started for the first time for England and the positioning of the defender as a part-time midfielder gave a passing resemblance to City's historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for his teammate during the second half but often looked too desperate to impress. Several hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player early on. England's play was messy during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania followed he lost the ball cheaply. His caution came after he lost the ball by Broja and fouled Broja.

Substitutes Decide

Ultimately England’s depth made the difference. The coach brought on Foden, who seemed better suited to the role occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and the Arsenal winger. In time Saka delivered a corner kick for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will be crucial at the World Cup.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel walked up from behind and guided the Real Madrid midfielder towards the English fans. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard Bellingham yet. But if the coach is prepared to give him a starring role remains in doubt.