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If Jude Bellingham hopes to fight his way once again into England’s strongest team, he would be wise to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His reaction after noticing that the substitute board was about to come up after an evening of inconsistency in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the squad members who come in," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you must accept them when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the national team leading by two in an inconsequential fixture, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for fouling Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Indeed it would have been foolish for the manager to not substitute him considering there was a chance he would be suspended of the initial fixture of the tournament by getting a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s disappointment upon understanding that he would be substituted for another player. He threw his arms up and although he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the sideline it was clear that the head coach was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for the captain to nod home the team's second, but the rest was counterproductive. It is not as if arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The coach has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the necessity of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, omitted from last month’s squad, is being watched carefully since coming back to the team this month. In effect his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to coming off the pitch as England rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a tough opposition from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

It means the jury is out on if the team perform optimally when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was inconclusive. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. He has given the squad a clear system lately, employing a defensive midfielder, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but the approach changed in this match. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder made his first start at this level and the role of John Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a faint echo to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for his teammate after the break but often looked overly eager to shine. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent at the beginning. England were ragged after halftime. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution occurred when an opponent took the ball by Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Foden, who seemed more naturally fitted to the spot that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and Saka. Eventually Saka provided a corner kick for Kane to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations are going to be vital in the upcoming tournament.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, all eyes were on the midfielder. Tuchel walked up to his side and pushed Bellingham to acknowledge the away supporters. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to abandon Bellingham yet. However, whether he is willing to give him the central position is still uncertain.