🔗 Share this article

If Jude Bellingham wants to fight his way into England’s top starting eleven, it would be smart to do away with the unnecessary reactions. His response upon realizing that his number was being shown after an evening of uneven play in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the squad members who enter the game," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it as a player."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for an outburst. The captain had only moments earlier made it England 2-0 up in a meaningless fixture, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for fouling an opponent. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Actually it might have been reckless for Tuchel to leave Bellingham on because there was a risk the midfielder would rule himself out of the opening game of the tournament by picking up a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's frustration when he clocked that his replacement was ready for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and although he exchanged a handshake on his way to the touchline it was obvious that the head coach was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He applauded his teammate for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to score his second goal, but his other actions was self-defeating. There was no chance arguing was going to alter the decision. The German has repeatedly emphasized following squad protocols and the necessity of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

He, not included in last month’s squad, is being watched carefully after returning to the squad recently. In effect he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to being taken off as England rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

It means opinions are divided on if England perform optimally including Bellingham. What we saw was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel at the start. He has provided England structure and clarity over the past few matches, building with a holding player, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but it felt different in this match. Quansah was handed his international debut, the midfielder made his first start for England and the positioning of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was similar look to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for Eze in the latter period but at times seemed too desperate to impress. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder early on. England's play was messy during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after he was dispossessed by Broja and brought down the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who appeared better suited to the position that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka whipped in a corner kick for Kane to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the player change. At the end, the focus was on him. Tuchel walked up behind him and pushed the player in the direction of the away supporters. The bond between them remains intact. The coach isn't ready to give up on the player just yet. However, whether he is willing to grant him the central position is not guaranteed.