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For Bellingham to wants to earn his place into the English top team, it would be smart to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that he was going up after an evening of mixed performance in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the squad members who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Kane had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions leading by two in a dead rubber match, the game had six minutes to go and he, who had not played particularly well, 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 manager to not substitute him because it was possible the midfielder would rule himself out of the first match of the World Cup by receiving a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the young midfielder's annoyance as he realized that he was going to make way for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and while he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the bench it was obvious that the head coach was not impressed.

This is the challenge facing Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for sending in the ball for the captain to head in his second of the night, but everything else was counterproductive. There was no chance complaining was going to alter the decision. The coach has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, not included in the previous squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the fold this month. Practically he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours with his response to being taken off as England completed a flawless qualification run by defeating a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

It means it's unclear on if England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested from the manager early on. He has given the squad a clear system in recent months, using a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but it felt different against Albania. The young defender was handed his international debut, Wharton made his first start internationally and the positioning of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was faint echo to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent in the early stages. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania followed he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card was shown after he was dispossessed from Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who looked more naturally fitted to the position in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka delivered a set-piece for Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. At the end, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel came over from behind and directed the player to acknowledge the English fans. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to give up on him at this stage. However, whether he is willing to grant him a starring role is still uncertain.