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For Bellingham to aims to fight his way back into England’s top squad, he would be wise to cut out the nonsense. His reaction after noticing that the substitute board was about to come up after a match of mixed performance in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the players who come in," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for an outburst. Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions leading by two in a meaningless match, there were six minutes left and he, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for fouling Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Actually it would have been unwise for the head coach to leave Bellingham on given that it was possible the midfielder would be suspended of the first match of the competition by receiving a second caution.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the player's annoyance as he realized that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the sideline it was obvious that Tuchel was displeased.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for the captain to nod home the team's second, but everything else was self-defeating. There was no chance arguing was going to alter the decision. The coach has talked so much about honoring the team structure and the value of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, omitted from the previous squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the squad recently. Practically his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours with his response to his substitution as the national team completed a ideal group stage by defeating a spirited effort from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

It means the jury is out on how the squad perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach in the beginning. He has provided the team organization and direction lately, building with a holding player, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but it felt different in this match. Quansah was handed his international debut, Wharton started for the first time for England and the use of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder created a similar look to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for Eze during the second half but often looked too desperate to impress. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England's play was messy during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking came after an opponent took the ball from Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Finally the bench quality made the difference. Tuchel introduced Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the spot in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Saka. Later Saka delivered a set-piece for Kane to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

However, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was partly forgotten amid the drama of the substitution incident. At the end, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel walked up behind him and guided the player in the direction of the away supporters. The bond between them is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to give up on the player just yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to give him centre stage is not guaranteed.