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Should Bellingham hopes to earn his place back into England’s strongest squad, the smart move to cut out the dramatics. His reaction upon realizing that the substitute board was going up following a night of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the squad members who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you must accept them as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for a tantrum. Kane had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions two goals ahead in a dead rubber fixture, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for fouling Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Actually it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on considering it was possible Bellingham would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the tournament by getting a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the player's disappointment when he clocked that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the touchline there was no doubt that the head coach did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Rashford for providing the assist for the captain to head in the team's second, but his other actions was counterproductive. It's not like protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the necessity of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, not included in the previous squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the squad this month. Practically he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours with his response to being taken off as the side wrapped up a ideal group stage by defeating a spirited effort from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

As a result it's unclear on whether the team operate most effectively including Bellingham. What we saw was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things by the coach early on. He has provided the team a clear system in recent months, using a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but the approach changed against Albania. Quansah was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the role of Stones as a makeshift midfielder gave a similar look to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze after the break but often looked overly eager to shine. Several poorly executed passes. A pointless clash with a rival player in the early stages. England were ragged during most of the second period. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. His booking occurred when he lost the ball from Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Finally the bench quality was decisive. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who seemed more comfortable to the position that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and Saka. Later Saka provided a corner kick for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was a little lost amid the drama of the player change. At the end, all eyes were on Bellingham. The coach approached to his side and directed the player in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their connection remains intact. The coach isn't ready to discard Bellingham yet. But if the coach is prepared to grant him centre stage is not guaranteed.