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If Jude Bellingham hopes to earn his place back into England’s best starting eleven, he would be wise to cut out the dramatics. His reaction after noticing that his number was about to come up after an evening of mixed performance in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not make more out of it but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the teammates who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it as a player."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for an outburst. Kane had only moments earlier made it England two goals ahead in an inconsequential qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and he, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for bringing down an opponent. This was hardly a controversial substitution. Actually it would have been foolish for the manager to not substitute him because there was a chance Bellingham would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the World Cup by picking up a another booking.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's annoyance as he realized that he would be substituted for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and while he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the touchline there was no doubt that Tuchel was not impressed.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded Rashford for providing the assist for Kane to score the team's second, but his other actions was counterproductive. It is not as if complaining was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the necessity of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

He, not included in the previous squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the fold recently. Practically he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to coming off the pitch as the side completed a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

As a result the jury is out on how the squad function at their best when Bellingham plays. The performance was not definitive. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. He has given England organization and direction over the past few matches, employing a holding player, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel in this match. The young defender was handed his international debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup for England and the role of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder created a passing resemblance to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for Eze in the latter period but often looked too desperate to impress. He made many hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder early on. England's play was messy for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham squandered possession. His booking occurred when an opponent took the ball by Broja and brought down Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally England’s depth was decisive. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who seemed better suited to the role in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Saka. Later Saka provided a corner kick for Kane to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that set pieces will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the substitution incident. At the end, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel walked up to his side and pushed Bellingham to acknowledge the travelling England fans. Their connection is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard the player just yet. But if the coach is prepared to offer him the central position remains in doubt.