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For Bellingham to hopes to force his way into England’s top squad, he would be wise to eliminate the nonsense. His reaction when he saw that his number was going up after a match of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the teammates who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you must accept them when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a strop. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it the national team leading by two in a meaningless fixture, the game had six minutes to go and the player, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for fouling an opponent. It was not a questionable change. Actually it might have been reckless for the head coach to not substitute him considering there was a chance Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the first match of the World Cup by picking up a second caution.

Shifting Focus on Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the player's disappointment upon understanding that his replacement was ready for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and although he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the bench there was no doubt that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for the captain to score his second of the night, but everything else was harmful to his cause. It is not as if complaining was going to alter the decision. The German has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the importance of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

He, omitted from the previous squad, is being watched carefully since coming back to the fold in the current camp. In effect he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to his substitution as the national team rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a spirited effort from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

It means opinions are divided on how the team perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things by the coach early on. Under him, England have gained the team structure and clarity in recent months, using a No 6, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed in this match. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, Wharton made his first start for England and the use of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder created a similar look to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. He made many poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent in the early stages. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card came after he was dispossessed from Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end the squad's strength made the difference. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the spot that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. In time Saka delivered a corner for Harry Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of the winger's delivery for the second goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the substitution incident. At the end, the focus was on Bellingham. Tuchel came over to his side and guided the player to acknowledge the English fans. Their connection is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to abandon Bellingham yet. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to offer him the central position remains in doubt.