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For Bellingham to hopes to earn his place once again into the English strongest starting eleven, it would be smart to do away with the dramatics. His reaction upon realizing that his number was going up after a match of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I’d rather not make more out of it but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the squad members who come in," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for an outburst. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the national team two goals ahead in an inconsequential fixture, the game had six minutes to go and the player, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for a foul on the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. In fact it might have been reckless for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that there was a chance the midfielder would be suspended of the opening game of the World Cup by getting a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the player's disappointment as he realized that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the sideline it was clear that Tuchel was displeased.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to nod home his second of the night, but everything else was harmful to his cause. There was no chance protesting was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has repeatedly emphasized following squad protocols and the value of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, left out of the team last month, has faced close inspection since coming back to the squad in the current camp. Essentially he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to coming off the pitch as England wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a spirited effort from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

It means opinions are divided on if England operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was not definitive. There was experimentation from the manager in the beginning. He has provided the squad organization and direction over the past few matches, employing a defensive midfielder, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but it felt different in this match. The young defender was made his England debut, the midfielder made his first start at this level and the role of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder created a similar look to City's team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for Eze during the second half but often looked too desperate to impress. He made many hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent early on. England's play was messy during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card occurred when he was dispossessed to Broja and brought down Broja.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel threw on Foden, who looked more comfortable to the position occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka provided a corner kick for Kane to break the deadlock. It highlighted that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of the winger's delivery for the second goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, all eyes were on him. The coach approached to his side and directed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the travelling England fans. The bond between them is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to discard him at this stage. Yet whether the coach is prepared to give him centre stage is not guaranteed.