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If Jude Bellingham aims to fight his way back into England’s best starting eleven, the smart move to do away with the dramatics. His reaction when he saw that the substitute board was going up after a match of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the players who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you need to comply when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a strop. Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions two goals ahead in a dead rubber fixture, there were six minutes left and the player, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for bringing down the Albanian striker. This was hardly a questionable change. In fact it might have been reckless for the head coach to leave Bellingham on given that there was a risk Bellingham would rule himself out of the opening game of the tournament by getting a another booking.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s annoyance as he realized that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and while he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the touchline it was clear that the manager was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He praised Rashford for providing the assist for the captain to nod home his second goal, but everything else was counterproductive. It is not as if arguing was going to alter the decision. The German has talked so much about following squad protocols and the necessity of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, not included in last month’s squad, is being watched carefully upon his return to the team this month. Practically he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to being taken off as the national team rounded off a flawless qualification run by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

As a result opinions are divided on whether the squad perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The performance was open to interpretation. There was experimentation by the coach at the start. He has given the squad organization and direction in recent months, employing a holding player, a No 8, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but it felt different in this match. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, the midfielder started for the first time at this level and the use of the defender as a part-time midfielder gave a faint echo to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for Eze during the second half but frequently appeared trying too hard. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. England were ragged during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania came after he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card came after an opponent took the ball by Broja and brought down the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end the bench quality was decisive. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who looked better suited to the position occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Saka. Later Saka delivered a corner kick for the captain to score the first goal. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, all eyes were on Bellingham. The coach approached to his side and pushed the player in the direction of the English fans. The bond between them is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on him at this stage. Yet whether the coach is prepared to grant him the central position is not guaranteed.