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If Jude Bellingham hopes to fight his way once again into the English strongest squad, the smart move to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that his number was about to come up after an evening of inconsistency in Tirana was not good enough.

"I’d rather not make more out of it but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the teammates who come in," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you need to comply being a professional."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no need for an outburst. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it the national team leading by two in an inconsequential qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and he, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for bringing down Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. In fact it would have been unwise for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering there was a chance Bellingham would rule himself out of the opening game of the tournament by getting a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's annoyance upon understanding that he would be substituted for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and although he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the bench it was obvious that the head coach was not impressed.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for the captain to score his second of the night, but the rest was harmful to his cause. It is not as if protesting was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the necessity of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

He, not included in the team last month, has faced close inspection after returning to the team this month. Essentially his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the side wrapped up a flawless qualification run by overcoming a tough opposition from Albania.

The System and the Setup

As a result it's unclear on how England operate most effectively including Bellingham. The evidence here was inconclusive. There was experimentation by the coach in the beginning. He has given the team structure and clarity in recent months, building with a No 6, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but it felt different against Albania. Quansah was given his first cap, Wharton made his first start at this level and the positioning of Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a passing resemblance to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but often looked overly eager to shine. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents came after Bellingham squandered possession. His booking came after an opponent took the ball to Broja and brought down Broja.

Substitutes Decide

Ultimately England’s depth made the difference. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who looked better suited to the position that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka provided a corner for Kane to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for the second goal was a little lost due to the fuss of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, all eyes were on the midfielder. Tuchel came over to his side and directed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the away supporters. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to discard the player just yet. Yet whether the coach is prepared to grant him centre stage is not guaranteed.