Bellingham Needs to Drop the Immature behavior to Reclaim a Central Position With Tuchel.

If Jude Bellingham wants to earn his place back into England’s best team, he would be wise to eliminate the nonsense. His response after noticing that he was being shown after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the teammates who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you need to comply being a professional."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for an outburst. The captain had recently scored to make the national team 2-0 up in an inconsequential match, there were six minutes left and the player, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for bringing down the Albanian striker. This was hardly a controversial substitution. Actually it would have been unwise for the manager to not substitute him considering there was a risk Bellingham would be suspended of the opening game of the tournament by receiving a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s frustration as he realized that he would be substituted for another player. He threw his arms up and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the sideline there was no doubt that the head coach was displeased.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Kane to head in the team's second, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. It's not like arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of showing proper conduct.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, left out of the previous squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the team this month. In effect his place has been in question and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to being taken off as the side completed a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a spirited effort from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

It means it's unclear on if the team function at their best when Bellingham plays. What we saw was not definitive. There was experimentation from Tuchel early on. He has given the squad a clear system in recent months, using a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but there was a different feel versus Albania. The young defender was made his England debut, the midfielder was in the starting lineup at this level and the role of the defender as a part-time midfielder created a faint echo to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for Eze during the second half but often looked too desperate to impress. He made many hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player in the early stages. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card came after he lost the ball by Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength made the difference. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who looked better suited to the position that Bellingham had played during the first half, and the Arsenal winger. In time Saka provided a set-piece for Harry Kane to score the first goal. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks will be crucial next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the player change. After the final whistle, the focus was on Bellingham. The coach approached behind him and pushed the player in the direction of the English fans. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon him at this stage. Yet whether he is willing to give him the central position is still uncertain.