Bellingham Must Cut Out the Petulance to Secure a Central Position In Tuchel.

For Bellingham to hopes to fight his way back into England’s strongest starting eleven, it would be smart to do away with the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that his number was going up after an evening of inconsistency in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I’d rather not make more out of it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the squad members who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a strop. The captain had just put England two goals ahead in an inconsequential match, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, received a caution for fouling the Albanian striker. This was hardly a questionable change. Actually it would have been unwise for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering there was a chance he would be suspended of the first match of the competition by getting a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s disappointment when he clocked that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and although he exchanged a handshake on his way to the sideline it was clear that the manager was displeased.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to head in his second goal, but everything else was counterproductive. There was no chance arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the importance of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, not included in the previous squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the fold this month. Essentially 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 tough opposition from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

It means it's unclear on whether the squad function at their best when Bellingham plays. What we saw was inconclusive. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. He has given England structure and clarity lately, using a holding player, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder made his first start internationally and the use of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder created a faint echo to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze after the break but often looked overly eager to shine. He made many hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player early on. England's play was messy for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham squandered possession. His caution was shown after an opponent took the ball by Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the squad's strength was decisive. The coach brought on Foden, who seemed more naturally fitted to the position in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka whipped in a set-piece for the captain to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for the second goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, all eyes were on him. Tuchel came over to his side and directed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the English fans. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon him at this stage. But if he is willing to give him the central position remains in doubt.