For Bellingham to wants to earn his place into England’s best squad, he would be wise to cut out the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted when he saw that the substitute board was being shown after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.
"I don’t want to make more out of it but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the squad members who substitute on," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them being a professional."
There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a tantrum. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it England 2-0 up in an inconsequential fixture, with only six minutes remaining and the player, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for a foul on an opponent. It was not a questionable change. Indeed it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on given that it was possible Bellingham would rule himself out of the opening game of the competition by receiving a second yellow card.
Shifting Focus to Himself
Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s annoyance as he realized that he was going to make way for a teammate. He threw his arms up and although he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the bench it was obvious that Tuchel was displeased.
Here lies the test for Bellingham. He praised his teammate for sending in the ball for Kane to nod home his second goal, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. It is not as if protesting was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has talked so much about honoring the team structure and the necessity of behaving correctly.
In the Spotlight
The midfielder, left out of the previous squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the fold this month. Practically his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to his substitution as England completed a ideal group stage by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.
The System and the Setup
This implies the jury is out on if England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was inconclusive. There was experimentation from Tuchel at the start. Under him, England have gained England a clear system over the past few matches, using a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed in this match. Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup for England and the role of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder gave a passing resemblance to Manchester City’s 2023 treble winners.
A Game of Two Halves
His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for his teammate in the latter period but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. He made many poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England were ragged after halftime. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham squandered possession. His caution was shown after he was dispossessed by Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.
Squad Strength Shows
In the end England’s depth made the difference. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who appeared better suited to the spot that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka provided a corner for Kane to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that set pieces will be crucial next summer.
Bridge Still Stands
Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, everyone was watching him. Tuchel walked up behind him and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the away supporters. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to give up on him at this stage. But if he is willing to offer him centre stage remains in doubt.
