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Should Bellingham wants to fight his way once again into the English strongest team, the smart move to cut out the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that the substitute board was about to come up after a match of inconsistency in Tirana was not good enough.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the teammates who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you need to comply being a professional."

The midfielder must understand. There was no need for a tantrum. Kane had just put the Three Lions leading by two in a meaningless qualifier, there were six minutes left and he, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for a foul on an opponent. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Actually it would have been foolish for the head coach to leave Bellingham on because there was a risk Bellingham would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the World Cup by getting a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the player's frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and while he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the touchline it was clear that the manager was displeased.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He praised Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to head in his second of the night, but the rest was harmful to his cause. It's not like protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the importance of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

He, left out of the previous squad, has been under scrutiny upon his return to the team in the current camp. In effect he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours with his response to being taken off as the national team rounded off a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

It means the jury is out on if the squad operate most effectively with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel in the beginning. He has given England structure and clarity over the past few matches, building with a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton started for the first time internationally and the positioning of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to City's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for his teammate during the second half but frequently appeared trying too hard. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution was shown after an opponent took the ball from Broja and fouled the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who looked better suited to the role in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a set-piece for Harry Kane to score the first goal. It highlighted that corners and free-kicks will be crucial next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The quality of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, all eyes were on the midfielder. The coach approached behind him and guided Bellingham to acknowledge the travelling England fans. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to give up on the player just yet. But if he is willing to give him a starring role is not guaranteed.