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Should Bellingham wants to fight his way back into the English strongest team, it would be smart to do away with the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted after noticing that the substitute board was about to come up after an evening of mixed performance in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the players who enter the game," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a strop. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it the national team two goals ahead in a meaningless qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, received a caution for fouling the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Indeed it might have been reckless for the manager to not substitute him considering there was a chance the midfielder would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the tournament by receiving a another booking.

Shifting Focus to Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s frustration upon understanding that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and while he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the sideline it was clear that the manager did not appreciate it.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for the captain to head in his second of the night, but his other actions was counterproductive. It is not as if arguing was going to alter the decision. The German has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the value of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, omitted from the previous squad, is being watched carefully since coming back to the team recently. In effect he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to being taken off as England wrapped up a ideal group stage by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.

The System and the Setup

It means it's unclear on whether the squad operate most effectively including Bellingham. The evidence here was not definitive. There was experimentation from Tuchel at the start. He has given the squad organization and direction in recent months, using a defensive midfielder, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed in this match. The young defender was made his England debut, Adam Wharton started for the first time at this level and the role of Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a faint echo to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze during the second half but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. He made many hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player in the early stages. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card was shown after he lost the ball from Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Foden, who looked more comfortable to the role in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka provided a corner kick for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the substitution incident. At the end, all eyes were on him. The coach approached to his side and pushed the player towards the travelling England fans. Their connection remains intact. The coach isn't ready to discard him at this stage. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to give him centre stage is not guaranteed.