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If Jude Bellingham hopes to fight his way once again into the English strongest team, he would be wise to do away with the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted after noticing that the substitute board was about to come up following a night of inconsistency in Tirana was not good enough.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the squad members who come in," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for a tantrum. The captain had recently scored to make the national team leading by two in a dead rubber fixture, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for fouling Armando Broja. It was not a debatable decision. In fact it would have been unwise for the manager to leave Bellingham on considering it was possible Bellingham would rule himself out of the opening game of the tournament by receiving a second caution.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's frustration as he realized that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and although he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the bench it was obvious that the manager did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to nod home his second of the night, but the rest was harmful to his cause. It's not like protesting was going to reverse the substitution. The German has talked so much about honoring the team structure and the value of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, omitted from the previous squad, is being watched carefully after returning to the team recently. In effect he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to coming off the pitch as England wrapped up a ideal group stage by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

It means it's unclear on if the squad perform optimally including Bellingham. The performance was open to interpretation. There was experimentation from the manager at the start. He has given the team structure and clarity lately, using a No 6, a central midfielder, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel against Albania. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, the midfielder made his first start at this level and the role of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze after the break but at times seemed overly eager to shine. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. A pointless clash against an opponent in the early stages. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham squandered possession. His caution was shown after an opponent took the ball from Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the bench quality made the difference. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who looked better suited to the spot that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka whipped in a set-piece for Harry Kane to score the first goal. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was a little lost amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, all eyes were on him. Tuchel walked up from behind and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their connection is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard the player just yet. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to offer him the central position is not guaranteed.