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Should Bellingham hopes to force his way once again into England’s best squad, he would be wise to eliminate the nonsense. The way he reacted when he saw that he was about to come up after an evening of inconsistency in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the squad members who come in," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it being a professional."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for an outburst. The captain had just put the national team 2-0 up in a meaningless fixture, there were six minutes left and he, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for bringing down the Albanian striker. It was not a questionable change. Indeed it might have been reckless for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that there was a risk Bellingham would be suspended of the opening game of the tournament by receiving a second caution.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

However, the player made himself the center of attention. No one could overlook the player's annoyance when he clocked that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the touchline there was no doubt that the head coach was displeased.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to head in the team's second, but the rest was harmful to his cause. It is not as if complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The coach has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the importance of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

He, left out of the previous squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the fold this month. Practically he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to his substitution as the national team rounded off a ideal group stage by defeating a tough opposition from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

This implies opinions are divided on if England perform optimally including Bellingham. What we saw was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel early on. He has provided the team a clear system in recent months, building with a No 6, a central midfielder, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel in this match. Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the use 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 created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze during the second half but frequently appeared trying too hard. He made many poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player in the early stages. England's play was messy after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card occurred when he was dispossessed to Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

In the end the bench quality proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Foden, who seemed better suited to the role that Bellingham had played during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka delivered a corner for Harry Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that set pieces will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the player change. When the match concluded, everyone was watching him. The coach approached behind him and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their relationship remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on the player just yet. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to grant him a starring role remains in doubt.