For Bellingham to hopes to fight his way back into the English best starting eleven, the smart move to cut out the nonsense. The way he reacted when he saw that his number was about to come up after a match of uneven play in Tirana was not good enough.
"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the players who come in," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you must accept them as a player."
Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a strop. Harry Kane had just put the national team two goals ahead in a dead rubber qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and he, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for fouling the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Actually it might have been reckless for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch because there was a risk Bellingham would be suspended of the first match of the tournament by picking up a another booking.
Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the player's disappointment as he realized that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and while he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the sideline there was no doubt that Tuchel did not appreciate it.
This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He applauded his teammate for delivering the cross for the captain to score his second goal, but everything else was self-defeating. It's not like protesting was going to alter the decision. The coach has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the importance of acting professionally.
He, omitted from the team last month, has been under scrutiny after returning to the team in the current camp. Essentially his place has been in question and he hasn't helped his case with his response to his substitution as the national team rounded off a ideal group stage by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.
It means it's unclear on whether England operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. The performance was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things by the coach in the beginning. Under him, England have gained the team structure and clarity in recent months, using a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel in this match. The young defender was made his England debut, the midfielder started for the first time for England and the use of the defender as a part-time midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to City's 2023 treble winners.
Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for his teammate after the break but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. He made many poorly executed passes. A pointless clash against an opponent at the beginning. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. One Albania chance followed he lost the ball cheaply. His caution occurred when he lost the ball by Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.
Finally the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel introduced Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the role that Bellingham had played during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner kick for Harry Kane to score the first goal. It was a reminder that set pieces will be crucial at the World Cup.
However, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, the focus was on Bellingham. Tuchel came over behind him and pushed Bellingham in the direction of the English fans. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard Bellingham yet. But if he is willing to grant him a starring role remains in doubt.
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