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If Jude Bellingham wants to fight his way into the English strongest squad, it would be smart to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that his number was about to come up following a night of inconsistency in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the squad members who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it as a player."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for an outburst. Kane had recently scored to make the national team two goals ahead in an inconsequential qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, received a caution for bringing down an opponent. It was not a questionable change. Actually it would have been foolish for the manager to leave Bellingham on given that it was possible he would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the competition by receiving a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

However, the player made himself the center of attention. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s frustration 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 while heading to the sideline there was no doubt that the head coach was displeased.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated Rashford for sending in the ball for the captain to score the team's second, but his other actions was self-defeating. There was no chance arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the importance of acting professionally.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, left out of last month’s squad, has faced close inspection after returning to the squad in the current camp. Essentially he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours with his response to his substitution as the side wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a spirited effort from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

This implies it's unclear on if England function at their best when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was open to interpretation. There was experimentation by the coach at the start. Under him, England have gained the team structure and clarity in recent months, employing a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. The young defender was made his England debut, Wharton made his first start for England and the positioning of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was faint echo to City's team that won three trophies.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for Eze in the latter period but often looked trying too hard. He made many hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash against an opponent in the early stages. England were ragged for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents came after Bellingham squandered possession. His booking occurred when he lost the ball from Broja and fouled Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the bench quality proved crucial. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who looked more naturally fitted to the position occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Saka. In time Saka provided a corner kick for the captain to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the substitution incident. At the end, the focus was on Bellingham. Tuchel walked up behind him and guided Bellingham to acknowledge the away supporters. The bond between them is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard him at this stage. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to give him a starring role remains in doubt.