Jude Bellingham Has to Cut Out the Nonsense to Earn a Central Role With Coach Tuchel.

Should Bellingham wants to fight his way once again into the English top starting eleven, he would be wise to cut out the nonsense. His response when he saw that his number was about to come up following a night of mixed performance in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the players who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you need to comply as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no need for a tantrum. The captain had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions 2-0 up in a meaningless fixture, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, received a caution for bringing down an opponent. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. Indeed 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 yellow card.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s frustration when he clocked that he would be substituted for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and although he exchanged a handshake while heading to the touchline it was obvious that the manager was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Kane to nod home his second of the night, but his other actions was self-defeating. There was no chance complaining was going to reverse the substitution. The German has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the necessity of showing proper conduct.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, omitted from last month’s squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the fold in the current camp. Essentially he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case with his response to being taken off as England completed a ideal group stage by seeing off a spirited effort from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

This implies it's unclear on if the team function at their best when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was open to interpretation. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. He has provided the team structure and clarity in recent months, building with a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different in this match. The young defender was given his first cap, Wharton started for the first time for England and the positioning of Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a similar look to City's historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. Several hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England were ragged during most of the second period. One Albania chance came after Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card was shown after he was dispossessed to Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the bench quality made the difference. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who looked more comfortable to the position in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner kick for the captain to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the player change. When the match concluded, the focus was on him. Tuchel walked up behind him and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the travelling England fans. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on Bellingham yet. Yet whether he is willing to offer him the central position is still uncertain.