Bellingham Needs to Drop the Petulance to Earn a Key Place In Tuchel.
Should Bellingham aims to earn his place back into England’s top team, the smart move to eliminate the dramatics. His reaction when he saw that the substitute board was being shown after a match of mixed performance in Tirana was unacceptable.
"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the players who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply when you're on the field."
Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for an outburst. Kane had recently scored to make England 2-0 up in an inconsequential match, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for bringing down Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. In fact it would have been unwise for the manager to leave Bellingham on considering there was a chance the midfielder would be suspended of the opening game of the competition by receiving a second caution.
Drawing Attention on Himself
Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the young midfielder's disappointment upon understanding that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the bench there was no doubt that Tuchel did not appreciate it.
Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to head in his second of the night, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. It is not as if complaining was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of behaving correctly.
Facing Examination
The midfielder, not included in last month’s squad, is being watched carefully upon his return to the fold this month. Essentially he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case with his response to coming off the pitch as England wrapped up a ideal group stage by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.
Tactics and Formation
It means it's unclear on if England function at their best including Bellingham. The evidence here was open to interpretation. There was experimentation from Tuchel at the start. He has given the team structure and clarity lately, building with a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and specialist wingers, but it felt different against Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup for England and the positioning of John Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a faint echo to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.
A Game of Two Halves
His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for his teammate during the second half but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player at the beginning. England were ragged for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking occurred when he was dispossessed from Broja and committed a foul on Broja.
Substitutes Decide
Finally England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who appeared more comfortable to the position occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Saka. Later Saka provided a set-piece for Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital at the World Cup.
Connection Remains
Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The quality of the winger's delivery for the second goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the player change. When the match concluded, all eyes were on him. Tuchel walked up to his side and directed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the away supporters. The bond between them is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to abandon the player just yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to give him the central position remains in doubt.
