For Bellingham to wants to fight his way into England’s top team, he would be wise to cut out the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that the substitute board was being shown after a match of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.
"I don’t want to overstate it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the squad members who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you must accept them when you're on the field."
There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for an outburst. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions leading by two in an inconsequential fixture, with only six minutes remaining and he, after a below-par performance, received a caution for bringing down an opponent. This was hardly a debatable decision. In fact it might have been reckless for the head coach to not substitute him given that there was a risk Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the tournament by receiving a another booking.
However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and although he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the touchline there was no doubt that the manager did not appreciate it.
This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He applauded his teammate for providing the assist for the captain to score his second goal, but the rest was harmful to his cause. It is not as if arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the value of behaving correctly.
Bellingham, omitted from the previous squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the squad recently. Practically he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to being taken off as England wrapped up a ideal group stage by seeing off a tough opposition from the Albanian team.
As a result opinions are divided on if the squad perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things from the manager in the beginning. He has given the team organization and direction in recent months, using a No 6, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed in this match. Quansah was given his first cap, the midfielder started for the first time internationally and the use of the defender as a part-time midfielder created a passing resemblance to City's 2023 treble winners.
Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eze after the break but at times seemed too desperate to impress. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent in the early stages. The team looked disjointed after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking came after an opponent took the ball from Broja and brought down Broja.
Finally England’s depth was decisive. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who seemed more comfortable to the position in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner kick for the captain to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital in the upcoming tournament.
However, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked due to the fuss of the player change. At the end, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel came over to his side and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the away supporters. The bond between them remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard the player just yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to offer him the central position is not guaranteed.
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