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For Bellingham to aims to earn his place once again into the English top squad, the smart move to do away with the dramatics. His response when he saw that the substitute board was being shown following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the players who come in," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it being a professional."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a tantrum. Kane had recently scored to make the national team 2-0 up in a dead rubber fixture, with only six minutes remaining and he, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for bringing down an opponent. This was hardly a questionable change. In fact it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on given that there was a risk Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the first match of the competition by picking up a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s frustration when he clocked that he would be substituted for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and even though he exchanged a handshake on his way to the sideline it was clear that the head coach was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for sending in the ball for Kane to nod home his second goal, but everything else was harmful to his cause. There was no chance arguing was going to alter the decision. The coach has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, omitted from last month’s squad, has faced close inspection after returning to the fold in the current camp. In effect he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the side wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a tough opposition from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

It means the jury is out on whether the squad function at their best when Bellingham plays. The performance was not definitive. Tuchel tried new things from the manager at the start. He has provided England organization and direction lately, using a holding player, a central midfielder, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed in this match. The young defender was handed his international debut, Wharton started for the first time at this level and the use of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder created a faint echo to City's historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for his teammate during the second half but at times seemed overly eager to shine. Several rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England were ragged during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. His caution was shown after an opponent took the ball to Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who looked better suited to the role that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner kick for Kane to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that set pieces will be crucial at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was a little lost due to the fuss of the player change. After the final whistle, all eyes were on him. Tuchel came over to his side and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the away supporters. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to discard Bellingham yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to offer him centre stage remains in doubt.