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If Jude Bellingham hopes to fight his way once again into the English best team, he would be wise to do away with the unnecessary reactions. His response upon realizing that the substitute board was going up after an evening of inconsistency in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the players who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a strop. Kane had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions 2-0 up in a dead rubber match, the game had six minutes to go and the player, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for bringing down the Albanian striker. It was not a debatable decision. Indeed it might have been reckless for the head coach to not substitute him considering it was possible he would be suspended of the opening game of the competition by receiving a another booking.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's annoyance as he realized that he was going to make way for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and even though he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the touchline it was obvious that the head coach did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge facing Bellingham. He praised his teammate for sending in the ball for the captain to nod home his second goal, but everything else was self-defeating. There was no chance arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the importance of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

He, not included in last month’s squad, has faced close inspection after returning to the fold in the current camp. In effect he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to his substitution as England completed a ideal group stage by defeating a tough opposition from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

It means opinions are divided on how the team operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was not definitive. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. He has provided the team organization and direction in recent months, using a No 6, a central midfielder, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Quansah was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the role of John Stones as a part-time midfielder created a faint echo to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for his teammate during the second half but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. Several poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent at the beginning. England's play was messy after halftime. An opportunity for Albania resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. His caution occurred when he lost the ball from Broja and committed a foul on Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

Ultimately the bench quality proved crucial. The coach brought on Foden, who looked better suited to the spot occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka whipped in a corner for Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks will be crucial at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the player change. At the end, the focus was on him. Tuchel walked up to his side and directed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the travelling England fans. Their relationship remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to discard Bellingham yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to give him the central position is still uncertain.