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Should Bellingham wants to earn his place once again into the English best squad, the smart move to eliminate the nonsense. His response when he saw that the substitute board was going up following a night of uneven play in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I’d rather not make more out of it but I hold to my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the players who come in," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for an outburst. Kane had recently scored to make England two goals ahead in a meaningless fixture, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, received a caution for bringing down an opponent. It was not a debatable decision. In fact it would have been unwise for the head coach to leave Bellingham on because there was a chance Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the competition by picking up a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention to Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he exchanged a handshake on his way to the touchline it was obvious that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded Rashford for providing the assist for the captain to nod home his second goal, but the rest was harmful to his cause. There was no chance protesting was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the importance of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

He, omitted from the previous squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the fold recently. In effect his place has been in question and he hasn't helped his case with his response to coming off the pitch as the side wrapped up a flawless qualification run by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

As a result opinions are divided on whether the team operate most effectively with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things by the coach early on. He has provided the team structure and clarity lately, employing a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but the approach changed in this match. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder made his first start for England and the positioning of the defender as a makeshift midfielder gave a faint echo to City's team that won three trophies.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but at times seemed trying too hard. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player at the beginning. England's play was messy after halftime. An opportunity for Albania resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card was shown after he lost the ball from Broja and fouled Broja.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who looked more naturally fitted to the role occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and Saka. Eventually Saka delivered a corner for Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will play a key role at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford's cross for the second goal was a little lost amid the drama of the player change. When the match concluded, everyone was watching him. Tuchel came over to his side and pushed Bellingham to acknowledge the English fans. Their relationship is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to discard him at this stage. But if he is willing to give him centre stage is not guaranteed.