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For Bellingham to aims to earn his place into England’s top team, he would be wise to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His response upon realizing that he was about to come up after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana was not good enough.

"I’d rather not make more out of it but I hold to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the teammates who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions two goals ahead in a dead rubber fixture, the game had six minutes to go and he, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for bringing down the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. Actually it might have been reckless for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch because it was possible Bellingham would rule himself out of the first match of the tournament by picking up a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the player's frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and while he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the bench there was no doubt that the manager did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for providing the assist for Harry Kane to head in his second goal, but everything else was self-defeating. There was no chance arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has talked so much about honoring the team structure and the necessity of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

He, omitted from last month’s squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the team recently. Essentially his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to being taken off as the national team rounded off a ideal group stage by overcoming a spirited effort from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

As a result it's unclear on if England function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was open to interpretation. There was experimentation by the coach at the start. He has provided the squad structure and clarity in recent months, employing a holding player, a No 8, a playmaker and specialist wingers, but it felt different against Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder started for the first time for England and the role of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder created a faint echo to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for Eze after the break but frequently appeared trying too hard. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player at the beginning. England's play was messy after halftime. One Albania chance followed he lost the ball cheaply. His caution came after he was dispossessed by Broja and fouled the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the squad's strength was decisive. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who looked more naturally fitted to the spot occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka delivered a set-piece for the captain to break the deadlock. It highlighted that corners and free-kicks will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. At the end, the focus was on Bellingham. The coach approached to his side and directed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the travelling England fans. Their relationship remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on the player just yet. But if he is willing to give him a starring role is not guaranteed.