For Bellingham to aims to force his way once again into the English best starting eleven, the smart move to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His response upon realizing that his number was about to come up after an evening of uneven play in Tirana fell short of expectations.
"I don’t want to overstate it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the squad members who enter the game," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you must accept them being a professional."
The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a tantrum. Kane had only moments earlier made it the national team 2-0 up in a dead rubber fixture, with only six minutes remaining and he, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for bringing down Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Actually it would have been foolish for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch because it was possible Bellingham would be suspended of the first match of the competition by picking up a second yellow card.
But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's disappointment when he clocked that he would be substituted for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and although he exchanged a handshake on his way to the touchline it was obvious that the head coach was displeased.
This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to head in the team's second, but his other actions was counterproductive. It is not as if complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the value of behaving correctly.
The midfielder, left out of the previous squad, is being watched carefully after returning to the team recently. In effect he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the side rounded off a ideal group stage by defeating a spirited effort from their opponents.
It means it's unclear on if England operate most effectively including Bellingham. What we saw was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested from the manager in the beginning. He has provided England structure and clarity lately, using a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, Adam Wharton started for the first time for England and the role of the defender as a part-time midfielder gave a passing resemblance to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.
Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for Eze after the break but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. Several poorly executed passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder early on. England's play was messy for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card was shown after he lost the ball by Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.
In the end the squad's strength made the difference. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who appeared more naturally fitted to the position that Bellingham had played during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka provided a corner kick for the captain to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that set pieces will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.
However, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, all eyes were on the midfielder. Tuchel walked up behind him and directed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the away supporters. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to discard Bellingham yet. However, whether he is willing to give him the central position is not guaranteed.
