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If Jude Bellingham aims to earn his place into the English strongest squad, the smart move to eliminate the dramatics. His response upon realizing that he was going up after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the squad members who enter the game," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you must accept them when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no need for a tantrum. The captain had recently scored to make the national team two goals ahead in an inconsequential match, 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 questionable change. Actually it might have been reckless for Tuchel to leave Bellingham on because there was a chance Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the first match of the competition by receiving a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the player's frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for another player. He threw his arms up and although he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the sideline there was no doubt that the manager was not impressed.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He praised Rashford for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to head in the team's second, but the rest was self-defeating. There was no chance arguing was going to alter the decision. The coach has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the value of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, left out of last month’s squad, is being watched carefully since coming back to the team recently. Practically he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to being taken off as England wrapped up a flawless qualification run by seeing off a spirited effort from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

As a result opinions are divided on whether England operate most effectively including Bellingham. The evidence here was not definitive. There was experimentation by the coach in the beginning. He has provided the squad a clear system in recent months, employing a holding player, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, Wharton made his first start internationally and the positioning of John Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a similar look to City's team that won three trophies.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. 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 early on. England were ragged for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card came after he was dispossessed by Broja and committed a foul on Broja.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the squad's strength was decisive. The coach brought on Foden, who looked better suited to the role in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner kick for the captain to open the scoring. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was a little lost due to the fuss of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, all eyes were on the midfielder. The coach approached to his side and guided Bellingham to acknowledge the travelling England fans. The bond between them remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to give up on him at this stage. Yet whether the coach is prepared to offer him a starring role remains in doubt.