🔗 Share this article

Should Bellingham wants to earn his place back into the English top team, it would be smart to eliminate the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that the substitute board was about to come up after an evening of inconsistency in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the players who enter the game," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them as a player."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a tantrum. The captain had recently scored to make England leading by two in a dead rubber fixture, there were six minutes left and the player, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for fouling the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Actually it might have been reckless for the head coach to not substitute him because there was a chance he would be suspended of the first match of the competition by picking up a another booking.

Drawing Attention on Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the player's annoyance upon understanding that he was going to make way for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the bench there was no doubt that the manager did not appreciate it.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Kane to nod home the team's second, but everything else was harmful to his cause. It is not as if protesting was going to reverse the substitution. The German has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the value of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, not included in the team last month, has been under scrutiny after returning to the team in the current camp. Essentially he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to being taken off as England wrapped up a flawless qualification run by overcoming a feisty challenge from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

It means the jury is out on if England function at their best including Bellingham. The performance was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel in the beginning. He has provided England a clear system over the past few matches, building with a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, Adam Wharton made his first start for England and the positioning of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder created a similar look to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for his teammate in the latter period but at times seemed too desperate to impress. Several rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent in the early stages. 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 to Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who seemed better suited to the role in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka whipped in a corner kick for Kane to break the deadlock. It highlighted that set pieces will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was partly forgotten amid the drama of the player change. When the match concluded, all eyes were on him. Tuchel came over from behind and directed the player towards the away supporters. The bond between them remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on Bellingham yet. Yet whether the coach is prepared to offer him a starring role is not guaranteed.