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Should Bellingham aims to fight his way once again into the English strongest team, it would be smart to do away with the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that his number was about to come up following a night of mixed performance in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the players who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it as a player."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for an outburst. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it England 2-0 up in a dead rubber match, there were six minutes left and he, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for bringing down the Albanian striker. It was not a questionable change. Actually it would have been unwise for the manager to leave Bellingham on because it was possible the midfielder would rule himself out of the first match of the tournament by receiving a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s disappointment upon understanding that he was going to make way for another player. He flung his arms in the air and even though he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the sideline it was clear that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge facing Bellingham. He congratulated Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to nod home the team's second, but the rest was self-defeating. It's not like complaining was going to reverse the substitution. The German has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, omitted from the team last month, has faced close inspection after returning to the team recently. Essentially he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to coming off the pitch as the national team completed a flawless qualification run by overcoming a feisty challenge from Albania.

The System and the Setup

This implies opinions are divided on whether England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was not definitive. Tuchel tried new things by the coach early on. He has provided the team a clear system over the past few matches, employing a No 6, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but the approach changed against Albania. The young defender was handed his international debut, the midfielder started for the first time internationally and the use of Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was similar look to City's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze after the break but frequently appeared trying too hard. Several poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player in the early stages. England's play was messy for much of the second half. One Albania chance followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking came after he lost the ball from Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Ultimately the bench quality made the difference. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who appeared better suited to the position in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka delivered a corner for the captain to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks will play a key role at the World Cup.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was partly forgotten amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, the focus was on him. The coach approached from behind and guided the Real Madrid midfielder towards the away supporters. The bond between them is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on the player just yet. But if he is willing to grant him a starring role is still uncertain.