England beat Albania 2-0, Bellingham caused a stir because of his attitude
Kane scored twice as England won 2-0 in Tirana, but the focus was on Jude Bellingham's reaction to being substituted; Tuchel stressed discipline and experimented with a 3-2-2-3 structure.
On a night where England completed their qualifying campaign with a perfect record, winning 2-0 in Tirana, the most controversial moment came in the final minute: Jude Bellingham threw his arms out in frustration when he saw his name on the scoreboard. Thomas Tuchel’s decision to substitute him was not only to preserve the scoreline, but also to protect the 22-year-old midfielder from the risk of being suspended for the opening match of the World Cup if he picked up another yellow card.
Substitution decision and disciplinary message from Tuchel
The context couldn’t have been clearer: Harry Kane had just made it 2-0, with six minutes left, while Bellingham was playing below expectations and had picked up a yellow card for a foul on Armando Broja. Tuchel opted to replace him with Morgan Rogers, a tactical decision that made sense and risked a booking. Bellingham shook hands with his manager as he left the pitch, but his expression and gesture of discomfort caused the conversation to flare.
"I don't want to make a fuss, but I still maintain that behaviour is key, and respect for teammates who come onto the pitch,"Tuchel said."The decision has been made and as a player you have to accept it."
It’s a fine line between personality and discipline that Bellingham must learn to walk. He did congratulate Marcus Rashford after the cross that set up Kane’s second goal, but his reaction when he was substituted overshadowed the rest. With Tuchel, dressing room order and professionalism are paramount.
The 3-2-2-3 plan and Bellingham's free role
Tuchel continued the experimentation that has helped England develop their structure over the past few months. Against Albania, the team often switched to a 3-2-2-3 shape in possession: no fixed No. 10 was used, Bellingham was given freedom to roam, Declan Rice moved higher up the pitch than usual, and Eberechi Eze stayed wide on the left but was rarely involved in combinations.
Jarell Quansah was handed his debut, Adam Wharton made his first start, and John Stones occasionally pushed forward as a midfielder, reminiscent of Manchester City's 2023 treble-winning structure. Conceptually, it was an interesting experiment to optimize space between the lines, but it didn't come easily against Albania's compact defense.
Key developments: the linking problem and key moments
Albania sat deep, narrowing the space, causing Kane and Bellingham to be largely cut off in the first half. It wasn’t until the 35th minute that England created a remarkable combination: quick passes opened up a breakthrough for Bellingham, before he passed the ball to Jarrod Bowen, but goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha made a brilliant save.
In the second half, Bellingham still left some highlights when creating opportunities for Eze, but his haste caused him to make mistakes. A loss of possession by Bellingham opened up a dangerous opportunity for Albania; the yellow card also came from the situation where he lost the ball to Broja and was forced to commit a foul.
Depth was key. Tuchel brought on Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka, and the impact was almost immediate. Saka took a corner for Kane to head in for the opener, before Rashford delivered a precise cross for Kane to complete his double. It was also a reminder that dead ball possession will be a key weapon next summer.
Impact: Bellingham's position and the unanswered question
Bellingham had been left out of the training camp last month, so he was immediately scrutinised when he returned. This was essentially a 'testing myself' period, and the frustration of being substituted in a routine match where England finished the qualifiers with a perfect record certainly didn't help his chances with the coaching staff.
Tuchel has been creating a clear framework with a No. 6, an No. 8, a No. 10 and pure wingers for months. The game in Tirana was a deliberate exception to the rule, but which system best suits Bellingham, and conversely, whether England function best with him at the centre, remains to be seen from 90 minutes.
As the final whistle blew, Tuchel came up from behind and gently pushed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the England support. The relationship did not break down. But to keep his place in the best team, Bellingham needed to change his attitude, starting with accepting the coach’s decisions and putting the team first.
