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If Jude Bellingham hopes to earn his place back into the English top team, he would be wise to eliminate the nonsense. His reaction upon realizing that the substitute board was going up following a night of inconsistency in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the players who come in," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you must accept them as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for an outburst. The captain had just put the national team leading by two in an inconsequential qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for fouling an opponent. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Indeed it would have been unwise for Tuchel to not substitute him considering there was a chance he would be suspended of the opening game of the tournament by getting a another booking.

Shifting Focus on Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. No one could overlook the young midfielder's disappointment when he clocked that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and while he exchanged a handshake on his way to the bench it was clear that the head coach was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He congratulated Rashford for providing the assist for Kane to nod home his second goal, but the rest was counterproductive. It is not as if arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

He, not included in the previous squad, is being watched carefully upon his return to the team recently. Essentially he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to being taken off as the national team completed a ideal group stage by defeating a tough opposition from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

It means it's unclear on whether the team function at their best including Bellingham. What we saw was not definitive. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel early on. He has provided the team structure and clarity lately, employing a holding player, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel versus Albania. The young defender was made his England debut, Wharton started for the first time at this level and the positioning of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was similar look to City's historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for his teammate during the second half but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution occurred when he lost the ball from Broja and fouled Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

Ultimately England’s depth was decisive. Tuchel introduced Foden, who looked more naturally fitted to the role that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka whipped in a corner kick for Kane to score the first goal. It highlighted that set pieces will play a key role at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the player change. At the end, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel came over to his side and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the away supporters. The bond between them is not broken. The coach isn't ready to discard the player just yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to offer him a starring role is not guaranteed.