🔗 Share this article

Should Bellingham hopes to fight his way into the English top squad, it would be smart to eliminate the dramatics. The way he reacted when he saw that the substitute board was about to come up after an evening of uneven play in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the players who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you must accept them being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for a strop. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the national team two goals ahead in a dead rubber match, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for fouling the Albanian striker. It was not a controversial substitution. In fact it would have been unwise for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering there was a risk the midfielder would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the World Cup by receiving a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's disappointment upon understanding that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and although he exchanged a handshake on his way to the touchline it was obvious that the head coach did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for providing the assist for Harry Kane to nod home his second goal, but everything else was counterproductive. It's not like arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the necessity of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, left out of last month’s squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the fold in the current camp. Practically he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to being taken off as England rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

It means it's unclear on if England function at their best including Bellingham. The performance was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested from the manager in the beginning. Under him, England have gained England structure and clarity lately, using a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed against Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, Wharton started for the first time for England and the positioning of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was similar look to City's 2023 treble winners.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze during the second half but at times seemed trying too hard. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash against an opponent at the beginning. England were ragged during most of the second period. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. His booking came after he lost the ball to Broja and fouled Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the bench quality proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who looked better suited to the position occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka whipped in a corner kick for the captain to score the first goal. It was a reminder that set pieces will play a key role next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford's cross for the second goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the substitution incident. At the end, everyone was watching the midfielder. Tuchel walked up to his side and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the away supporters. The bond between them remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to give up on Bellingham yet. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to give him centre stage is still uncertain.