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If Jude Bellingham hopes to earn his place once again into the English strongest starting eleven, the smart move to eliminate the dramatics. His reaction upon realizing that the substitute board was going up after an evening of mixed performance in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the squad members who come in," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for an outburst. Kane had recently scored to make the national team leading by two in a dead rubber qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for a foul on Armando Broja. It was not a debatable decision. Indeed it would have been unwise for the manager to not substitute him because there was a risk he would be suspended of the opening game of the World Cup by getting a another booking.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the player's annoyance as he realized that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and although he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the sideline there was no doubt that the head coach was not impressed.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for the captain to head in the team's second, but his other actions was self-defeating. There was no chance arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The coach has talked so much about honoring the team structure and the importance of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

He, left out of the team last month, has faced close inspection upon his return to the team recently. Practically his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to being taken off as the side completed a ideal group stage by defeating a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

It means it's unclear on whether the squad perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was not definitive. Tuchel tried new things from the manager early on. Under him, England have gained the squad organization and direction over the past few matches, using a holding player, a No 8, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but there was a different feel against Albania. The young defender was made his England debut, the midfielder was in the starting lineup internationally and the positioning of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder created a faint echo to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for his teammate after the break but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. Several rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash with a rival player at the beginning. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents came after Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after he was dispossessed from Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end the bench quality made the difference. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who appeared better suited to the role in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. In time Saka delivered a corner for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that set pieces will be crucial next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

However, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the player change. When the match concluded, the focus was on him. Tuchel came over from behind and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the away supporters. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to discard Bellingham yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to give him a starring role is not guaranteed.