Jude Bellingham Must Cut Out the Nonsense to Reclaim a Star Position Under Coach Tuchel.
For Bellingham to hopes to earn his place back into England’s strongest squad, he would be wise to cut out the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted when he saw that he was being shown following a night of mixed performance in Tirana was unacceptable.
"I’d rather not overstate it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the players who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply being a professional."
There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a tantrum. Harry Kane had recently scored to make England 2-0 up in a meaningless fixture, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for fouling Armando Broja. This was hardly a questionable change. Actually it would have been unwise for the head coach to not substitute him given that it was possible the midfielder would be suspended of the opening game of the tournament by picking up a second yellow card.
Shifting Focus to Himself
But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's disappointment upon understanding that he was going to make way for another player. He threw his arms up and while he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the bench it was obvious that the manager was displeased.
This is the challenge facing Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to score his second goal, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. It's not like arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the value of behaving correctly.
Under Scrutiny
The midfielder, left out of the previous squad, is being watched carefully after returning to the squad this month. Essentially his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to being taken off as England rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.
Tactics and Formation
As a result opinions are divided on if England function at their best including Bellingham. The evidence here was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach at the start. Under him, England have gained England structure and clarity lately, using a No 6, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and specialist wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. Quansah was given his first cap, the midfielder was in the starting lineup for England and the positioning of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was similar look to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.
A Game of Two Halves
Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for Eze in the latter period but at times seemed overly eager to shine. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player early on. England's play was messy during most of the second period. One Albania chance came after Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card came after he lost the ball by Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.
Depth Makes the Difference
Ultimately the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who looked more comfortable to the position occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka delivered a corner for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that corners and free-kicks will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.
Connection Remains
However, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of the winger's delivery for the second goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, everyone was watching him. Tuchel walked up to his side and directed Bellingham to acknowledge the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon Bellingham yet. But if the coach is prepared to grant him a starring role is not guaranteed.