🔗 Share this article

If Jude Bellingham hopes to fight his way into the English top starting eleven, it would be smart to eliminate the dramatics. His reaction upon realizing that he was being shown following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the squad members who substitute on," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. The captain had just put the Three Lions 2-0 up in an inconsequential fixture, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for fouling Armando Broja. It was not a debatable decision. Actually it would have been unwise for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that there was a risk the midfielder would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the World Cup by picking up a another booking.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the young midfielder's frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and while he exchanged a handshake on his way to the bench there was no doubt that Tuchel was not impressed.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to nod home his second goal, but the rest was harmful to his cause. It's not like complaining was going to alter the decision. The German has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the importance of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, omitted from last month’s squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the team in the current camp. Essentially his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the national team rounded off a flawless qualification run by seeing off a tough opposition from Albania.

The System and the Setup

This implies the jury is out on how the squad perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel at the start. He has given the team structure and clarity over the past few matches, using a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but the approach changed in this match. Quansah was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton made his first start internationally and the positioning of John Stones as a part-time midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to City's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for his teammate in the latter period but frequently appeared trying too hard. He made many hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England were ragged during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham squandered possession. His booking came after he lost the ball by Broja and fouled the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

In the end England’s depth made the difference. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the role occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka delivered a corner kick for the captain to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the player change. At the end, all eyes were on him. Tuchel came over behind him and guided Bellingham to acknowledge the travelling England fans. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon Bellingham yet. But if he is willing to grant him centre stage is still uncertain.