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For Bellingham to aims to force his way once again into the English top team, it would be smart to do away with the nonsense. The way he reacted when he saw that the substitute board was about to come up after a match of inconsistency in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the squad members who come in," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for an outburst. Kane had only moments earlier made it England leading by two in an inconsequential qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for bringing down Armando Broja. This was hardly a debatable decision. In fact it would have been foolish for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering it was possible Bellingham would rule himself out of the first match of the World Cup by receiving a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s annoyance when he clocked that he would be substituted for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and while he exchanged a handshake while heading to the bench it was obvious that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He congratulated Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to head in the team's second, but the rest was counterproductive. There was no chance arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the value of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

He, not included in the team last month, has faced close inspection since coming back to the squad in the current camp. Practically his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to coming off the pitch as the national team rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

As a result the jury is out on whether England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The performance was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel early on. He has given the team a clear system over the past few matches, employing a No 6, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed against Albania. Quansah was given his first cap, the midfielder made his first start for England and the use of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was faint echo to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for his teammate in the latter period but often looked too desperate to impress. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent at the beginning. England's play was messy after halftime. One Albania chance followed he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card was shown after he lost the ball to Broja and brought down Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the bench quality proved crucial. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who looked better suited to the position occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka whipped in a corner kick for the captain to score the first goal. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, everyone was watching Bellingham. The coach approached behind him and guided the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the travelling England fans. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on him at this stage. Yet whether he is willing to give him a starring role remains in doubt.