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If Jude Bellingham aims to force his way once again into the English best squad, the smart move to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His response after noticing that he was going up after a match of mixed performance in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the players who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for a strop. Kane had recently scored to make the national team 2-0 up in an inconsequential qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for fouling Armando Broja. This was hardly a debatable decision. Actually it would have been foolish for the head coach to not substitute him given that there was a risk he would make himself ineligible of the first match of the tournament by receiving a another booking.

Drawing Attention on Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s annoyance upon understanding that he was going to make way for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the touchline it was clear that the head coach was not impressed.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded Rashford for providing the assist for the captain to nod home his second goal, but everything else was self-defeating. It is not as if protesting was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the value of showing proper conduct.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, not included in the team last month, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the team in the current camp. In effect his place has been in question and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to being taken off as the national team wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a feisty challenge from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

This implies the jury is out on how the squad operate most effectively with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was not definitive. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. Under him, England have gained the team a clear system in recent months, building with a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel against Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder was in the starting lineup for England and the role of the defender as a part-time midfielder created a similar look to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for Eze in the latter period but at times seemed too desperate to impress. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. England's play was messy during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. His caution was shown after an opponent took the ball by Broja and fouled Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who seemed more naturally fitted to the spot in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Saka. Later Saka delivered a corner kick for Kane to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel came over to his side and guided the player towards the away supporters. Their connection remains intact. The coach isn't ready to discard Bellingham yet. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to grant him the central position is still uncertain.