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If Jude Bellingham aims to force his way once again into the English strongest starting eleven, he would be wise to cut out the nonsense. His response when he saw that the substitute board was about to come up after a match of inconsistency in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the players who enter the game," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a tantrum. The captain had only moments earlier made it England two goals ahead in a dead rubber qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and the player, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for a foul on Armando Broja. It was not a controversial substitution. In fact it would have been foolish for the head coach to leave Bellingham on considering it was possible he would rule himself out of the first match of the tournament by picking up a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the young midfielder's disappointment upon understanding that he was going to make way for a teammate. He threw his arms up and although he exchanged a handshake on his way to the bench it was obvious that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge facing Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to head in his second goal, but everything else was harmful to his cause. It is not as if protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has talked so much about honoring the team structure and the necessity of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, left out of last month’s squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the squad this month. In effect he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to coming off the pitch as the side completed a ideal group stage by defeating a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

As a result the jury is out on how the squad function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach in the beginning. He has given England organization and direction over the past few matches, using a No 6, a central midfielder, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the role of John Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a faint echo to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eze after the break but often looked overly eager to shine. He made many poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent at the beginning. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card came after an opponent took the ball from Broja and brought down the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately England’s depth was decisive. The coach brought on Foden, who appeared more naturally fitted to the position in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka provided a corner for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will play a key role next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for the second goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the player change. When the match concluded, everyone was watching him. The coach approached to his side and pushed Bellingham in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to discard him at this stage. But if he is willing to give him a starring role is not guaranteed.