🔗 Share this article

Should Bellingham hopes to earn his place once again into the English top squad, the smart move to do away with the dramatics. His response upon realizing that he was about to come up after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the squad members who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Kane had recently scored to make the national team leading by two in an inconsequential qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for bringing down Armando Broja. It was not a debatable decision. In fact it would have been foolish for the manager to not substitute him because it was possible the midfielder would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the competition by receiving a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for another player. He threw his arms up and even though he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the touchline there was no doubt that the manager did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Kane to head in the team's second, but everything else was self-defeating. There was no chance protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of acting professionally.

Facing Examination

He, omitted from the team last month, has been under scrutiny after returning to the fold in the current camp. Essentially he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case with his response to being taken off as the side wrapped up a ideal group stage by defeating a tough opposition from Albania.

The System and the Setup

It means the jury is out on whether the team operate most effectively with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. There was experimentation from the manager early on. He has given the team a clear system in recent months, using a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed against Albania. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, Adam Wharton made his first start for England and the positioning of Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was similar look to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for Eze during the second half but often looked trying too hard. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. A pointless clash with a rival player in the early stages. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents came after Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card came after he lost the ball to Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

Ultimately the bench quality proved crucial. Tuchel introduced Foden, who looked more naturally fitted to the position in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a set-piece for the captain to score the first goal. It was a reminder that set pieces will be crucial at the World Cup.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for the second goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, everyone was watching Bellingham. The coach approached behind him and guided Bellingham to acknowledge the away supporters. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to abandon him at this stage. But if he is willing to give him a starring role is still uncertain.