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If Jude Bellingham wants to earn his place into England’s strongest squad, the smart move to cut out the dramatics. The way he reacted upon realizing that he was going up after a match of uneven play in Tirana was not good enough.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect for the players who come in," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you need to comply when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for a strop. The captain had recently scored to make the Three Lions leading by two in an inconsequential match, with only six minutes remaining and the player, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for a foul on an opponent. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. In fact it would have been unwise for the manager to not substitute him given that there was a risk he would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the competition by receiving a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the young midfielder's annoyance when he clocked that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the touchline there was no doubt that the manager was displeased.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to nod home the team's second, but everything else was counterproductive. It's not like complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The coach has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the value of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

He, not included in last month’s squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the squad recently. In effect his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to being taken off as the national team completed a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a feisty challenge from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

As a result opinions are divided on whether England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was open to interpretation. There was experimentation from the manager early on. He has given the team a clear system over the past few matches, using a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel in this match. Quansah was handed his international debut, Wharton started for the first time internationally and the role of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was similar look to City's 2023 treble winners.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze during the second half but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. He made many hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. The team looked disjointed after halftime. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card was shown after an opponent took the ball to Broja and brought down the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

In the end the squad's strength made the difference. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who seemed better suited to the position in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka provided a set-piece for Kane to score the first goal. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford's cross for the second goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, all eyes were on him. The coach approached from behind and guided the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the English fans. The bond between them is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to give up on the player just yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to grant him a starring role remains in doubt.