The England midfielder Must Drop the Petulance to Reclaim a Central Place With Coach Tuchel.

If Jude Bellingham wants to earn his place once again into the English strongest squad, it would be smart to cut out the dramatics. The way he reacted when he saw that his number was going up following a night of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I prefer not to overstate it but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the players who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you need to comply being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a tantrum. The captain had only moments earlier made it the national team two goals ahead in a dead rubber fixture, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for bringing down Armando Broja. It was not a debatable decision. Indeed it would have been unwise for the head coach to not substitute him considering it was possible he would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the tournament by getting a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus on Himself

However, the player made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's annoyance when he clocked that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and while he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the bench it was obvious that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He praised his teammate for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to score his second of the night, but everything else was self-defeating. It is not as if protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the value of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

He, omitted from last month’s squad, is being watched carefully after returning to the team recently. Practically he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to coming off the pitch as the side wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a spirited effort from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

As a result it's unclear on if the team function at their best when Bellingham plays. The performance was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things from the manager in the beginning. He has provided England organization and direction lately, building with a No 6, a No 8, a playmaker and specialist wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, Adam Wharton made his first start for England and the positioning of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was similar look to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for his teammate after the break but at times seemed overly eager to shine. Several poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent at the beginning. England's play was messy after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution came after he lost the ball by Broja and brought down the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately England’s depth made the difference. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who seemed more comfortable to the position that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka provided a corner for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that corners and free-kicks will be crucial at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of the winger's delivery for the second goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, the focus was on him. Tuchel came over behind him and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the English fans. Their relationship remains intact. The coach isn't ready to give up on the player just yet. Yet whether he is willing to offer him centre stage remains in doubt.