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Should Bellingham wants to force his way once again into England’s strongest starting eleven, the smart move to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that the substitute board was going up following a night of uneven play in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the players who come in," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you must accept them as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for a strop. Kane had just put the Three Lions two goals ahead in a dead rubber fixture, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for bringing down Armando Broja. It was not a debatable decision. Actually it might have been reckless for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering there was a risk he would make himself ineligible of the first match of the tournament by picking up a second caution.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s disappointment when he clocked that he would be substituted for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and although he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the sideline there was no doubt that Tuchel was displeased.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to nod home the team's second, but everything else was self-defeating. It is not as if complaining was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has talked so much about following squad protocols and the importance of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

Bellingham, not included in last month’s squad, has faced close inspection after returning to the squad this month. Essentially his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to his substitution as the national team rounded off a flawless qualification run by seeing off a spirited effort from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

It means it's unclear on whether the squad perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was inconclusive. There was experimentation from the manager early on. Under him, England have gained England a clear system over the past few matches, using a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel versus Albania. Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup at this level and the role of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was faint echo to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze after the break but often looked overly eager to shine. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player in the early stages. England's play was messy after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents came after he lost the ball cheaply. His caution came after he lost the ball from Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

Ultimately the bench quality made the difference. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who appeared better suited to the spot that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka provided a set-piece for the captain to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital next summer.

Connection Remains

However, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was a little lost amid the drama of the substitution incident. At the end, everyone was watching Bellingham. The coach approached from behind and guided the player to acknowledge the travelling England fans. Their connection remains intact. The coach isn't ready to give up on Bellingham yet. Yet whether he is willing to give him the central position is not guaranteed.