🔗 Share this article Jude Bellingham Has to Drop the Nonsense to Earn a Central Place Under Coach Tuchel. For Bellingham to aims to earn his place into England’s strongest squad, it would be smart to do away with the dramatics. The way he reacted after noticing that he was going up following a night of mixed performance in Tirana was not good enough. "I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the players who come in," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply being a professional." The midfielder must understand. There was no need for a tantrum. Harry Kane had recently scored to make England two goals ahead in a meaningless qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and the player, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for fouling the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Indeed it would have been foolish for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that there was a risk he would rule himself out of the opening game of the tournament by receiving a second caution. Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the player's frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and although he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the touchline it was obvious that Tuchel did not appreciate it. Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He praised Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to score his second goal, but the rest was counterproductive. It is not as if protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the importance of showing proper conduct. Under Scrutiny The midfielder, not included in the previous squad, has faced close inspection after returning to the team recently. Practically he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours with his response to his substitution as England rounded off a flawless qualification run by defeating a feisty challenge from Albania. The Coach's Plan As a result it's unclear on how England operate most effectively with Bellingham in the team. The performance was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel early on. Under him, England have gained England organization and direction lately, building with a holding player, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but the approach changed in this match. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the use of Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a passing resemblance to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side. Inconsistent Display His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for his teammate during the second half but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder early on. England were ragged during most of the second period. One Albania chance came after Bellingham squandered possession. His caution came after he was dispossessed to Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker. Substitutes Decide In the end the bench quality made the difference. Tuchel introduced Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the position occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka provided a corner for the captain to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will be crucial in the upcoming tournament. Relationship Not Broken However, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel came over from behind and directed Bellingham in the direction of the away supporters. Their connection is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to discard the player just yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to give him a starring role is still uncertain.