The England midfielder Needs to Cut Out the Petulance to Secure a Central Position With Tuchel.

Should Bellingham hopes to earn his place once again into the English strongest team, he would be wise to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that the substitute board was going up after an evening of inconsistency in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to overstate it but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect for the teammates who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for an outburst. Kane had only moments earlier made it England leading by two in a dead rubber match, the game had six minutes to go and he, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for bringing down an opponent. It was not a questionable change. Actually it might have been reckless for Tuchel to not substitute him given that there was a chance the midfielder would be suspended of the opening game of the World Cup by picking up a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the player's disappointment upon understanding that he would be substituted for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and while he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the bench there was no doubt that the head coach was displeased.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He praised Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to score his second goal, but the rest was harmful to his cause. There was no chance protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The coach has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

Bellingham, omitted from the previous squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the squad in the current camp. Essentially he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to his substitution as the side completed a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

As a result it's unclear on if the squad function at their best when Bellingham plays. The performance was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel early on. He has provided the squad a clear system over the past few matches, using a defensive midfielder, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup for England and the positioning of John Stones as a part-time midfielder meant there was faint echo to City's team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze during the second half but often looked overly eager to shine. Several hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent in the early stages. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. His booking came after he was dispossessed by Broja and fouled the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who looked more naturally fitted to the spot that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka delivered a corner kick for the captain to score the first goal. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations are going to be vital in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. At the end, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel came over behind him and pushed the player in the direction of the English fans. Their relationship remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to abandon Bellingham yet. Yet whether he is willing to give him centre stage remains in doubt.