🔗 Share this article

Should Bellingham wants to earn his place once again into the English top team, the smart move to cut out the nonsense. His response upon realizing that he was going up following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the teammates who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you must accept them when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for an outburst. The captain had just put the Three Lions leading by two in a dead rubber fixture, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for bringing down Armando Broja. This was hardly a debatable decision. In fact it would have been unwise for the head coach to not substitute him considering there was a chance Bellingham would rule himself out of the first match of the tournament by receiving a another booking.

Shifting Focus to Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s frustration when he clocked that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the bench it was clear that the manager did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to score his second goal, but the rest was self-defeating. There was no chance protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has talked so much about following squad protocols and the importance of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, left out of the previous squad, has faced close inspection after returning to the squad this month. In effect he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him with his response to his substitution as the side rounded off a flawless qualification run by overcoming a feisty challenge from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

It means the jury is out on whether England operate most effectively including Bellingham. What we saw was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach early on. He has provided the squad structure and clarity lately, building with a holding player, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder started for the first time for England and the role of Stones as a makeshift midfielder gave a similar look to City's historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. Several rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent early on. England were ragged during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card occurred when he lost the ball by Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who seemed more comfortable to the spot in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Saka. Later Saka delivered a corner kick for the captain to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will be crucial next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was a little lost due to the fuss of the player change. After the final whistle, the focus was on him. Tuchel came over to his side and guided the player to acknowledge the English fans. The bond between them is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to abandon him at this stage. Yet whether he is willing to offer him centre stage remains in doubt.