🔗 Share this article

Should Bellingham aims to earn his place back into England’s best squad, it would be smart to do away with the unnecessary reactions. His response when he saw that the substitute board was being shown following a night of inconsistency in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the players who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for an outburst. Kane had only moments earlier made it England leading by two in a dead rubber fixture, with only six minutes remaining and he, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for a foul on Armando Broja. This was hardly a controversial substitution. Indeed it would have been foolish for the manager to not substitute him because there was a risk the midfielder would rule himself out of the opening game of the competition by receiving a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the player's disappointment upon understanding that he was going to make way for another player. He threw his arms up and even though he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the bench it was obvious that the manager was not impressed.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for the captain to head in his second of the night, but everything else was harmful to his cause. It's not like protesting was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the importance of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, omitted from the team last month, 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 through his behavior to his substitution as the side rounded off a flawless qualification run by defeating a tough opposition from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

This implies it's unclear on whether England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested from the manager at the start. Under him, England have gained England a clear system lately, building with a No 6, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different in this match. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, Wharton was in the starting lineup for England and the role of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was similar look to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for his teammate during the second half but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. Several hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder early on. England were ragged during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents came after he lost the ball cheaply. His booking occurred when he lost the ball by Broja and brought down the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end the bench quality made the difference. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who looked more comfortable to the position occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka delivered a corner for Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for the second goal was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, the focus was on Bellingham. Tuchel walked up behind him and guided Bellingham towards the English fans. The bond between them is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to abandon him at this stage. But if the coach is prepared to give him centre stage is not guaranteed.