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If Jude Bellingham aims to earn his place back into the English strongest starting eleven, it would be smart to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His response upon realizing that the substitute board was going up after a match of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the teammates who substitute on," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you must accept them when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for a strop. Kane had recently scored to make England two goals ahead in a meaningless qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and the player, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for a foul on the Albanian striker. It was not a debatable decision. Indeed it would have been foolish for the head coach to not substitute him considering it was possible the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the World Cup by getting a another booking.

Shifting Focus on Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s disappointment when he clocked that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the bench it was clear that the manager was displeased.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to nod home the team's second, but the rest was harmful to his cause. There was no chance complaining was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the importance of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, left out of the previous squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the fold this month. In effect he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to his substitution as the national team rounded off a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

This implies the jury is out on if the squad perform optimally including Bellingham. What we saw was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel in the beginning. He has provided the squad a clear system lately, using a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel versus Albania. Quansah was given his first cap, Wharton made his first start internationally and the positioning of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was similar look to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for Eze during the second half but often looked too desperate to impress. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent in the early stages. England were ragged after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card occurred when he lost the ball to Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Foden, who looked more naturally fitted to the position in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka provided a corner kick for the captain to score the first goal. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations will be crucial at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, all eyes were on the midfielder. Tuchel walked up to his side and guided the player in the direction of the travelling England fans. The bond between them is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to give up on the player just yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to grant him a starring role remains in doubt.