If Jude Bellingham wants to earn his place into England’s strongest starting eleven, the smart move to do away with the dramatics. His reaction after noticing that the substitute board was being shown after a match of uneven play in Tirana fell short of expectations.
"I prefer not to overstate it but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the players who substitute on," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you must accept them when you're on the field."
Bellingham has to learn. There was no need for an outburst. Kane had only moments earlier made it England 2-0 up in an inconsequential qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for fouling an opponent. This was hardly a debatable decision. Indeed it would have been foolish for the manager to leave Bellingham on considering it was possible the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the tournament by getting a second yellow card.
Turning the Spotlight to Himself
But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the player's frustration upon understanding that his replacement was ready for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the bench it was obvious that Tuchel was displeased.
This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to head in his second of the night, but everything else was self-defeating. There was no chance complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The coach has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of showing proper conduct.
Under Scrutiny
The midfielder, not included in the previous squad, has been under scrutiny upon his return to the team recently. Practically his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to coming off the pitch as the national team wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.
The System and the Setup
As a result the jury is out on if the team operate most effectively with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was inconclusive. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. Under him, England have gained the squad a clear system over the past few matches, using a holding player, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel in this match. Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton started for the first time for England and the positioning of Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was faint echo to City's 2023 treble winners.
Mixed Performance
His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for Eze during the second half but frequently appeared trying too hard. He made many hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent in the early stages. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. One Albania chance came after Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking occurred when he was dispossessed to Broja and committed a foul on Broja.
Squad Strength Shows
Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel introduced Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the spot occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. In time Saka delivered a set-piece for Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks will play a key role next summer.
Relationship Not Broken
Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the player change. When the match concluded, all eyes were on Bellingham. The coach approached from behind and directed the player towards the away supporters. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard the player just yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to grant him centre stage is not guaranteed.
