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If Jude Bellingham wants to fight his way once again into England’s best starting eleven, it would be smart to do away with the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that the substitute board was being shown following a night of mixed performance in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the teammates who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you need to comply as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for an outburst. Harry Kane had recently scored to make England two goals ahead in a meaningless fixture, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for bringing down the Albanian striker. This was hardly a debatable decision. Actually it would have been unwise for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering it was possible he would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the competition by picking up a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

However, the player made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the player's annoyance upon understanding that he was going to make way for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and while he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the sideline it was clear that the manager was not impressed.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated his teammate for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to nod home the team's second, but everything else was self-defeating. It is not as if complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the importance of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, left out of the previous squad, is being watched carefully upon his return to the team this month. In effect he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours with his response to being taken off as the side rounded off a ideal group stage by seeing off a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

As a result opinions are divided on if the team function at their best when Bellingham plays. What we saw was inconclusive. There was experimentation from Tuchel early on. Under him, England have gained England structure and clarity in recent months, using a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different against Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the positioning of Stones as a part-time midfielder created a faint echo to City's 2023 treble winners.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for Eze in the latter period but often looked trying too hard. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player early on. The team looked disjointed after halftime. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card came after an opponent took the ball from Broja and brought down Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who seemed better suited to the spot in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Saka. In time Saka provided a corner kick for the captain to score the first goal. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will be crucial at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was a little lost due to the fuss of the Rogers substitution. At the end, all eyes were on him. Tuchel came over from behind and guided Bellingham towards the English fans. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on the player just yet. But if the coach is prepared to give him centre stage is still uncertain.