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If Jude Bellingham wants to fight his way into England’s top team, he would be wise to cut out the dramatics. His reaction when he saw that the substitute board was about to come up after an evening of inconsistency in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the players who come in," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you need to comply when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a strop. Harry Kane had just put the Three Lions 2-0 up in an inconsequential match, there were six minutes left and he, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for bringing down Armando Broja. It was not a questionable change. In fact it might have been reckless for Tuchel to leave Bellingham on because there was a chance he would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the World Cup by getting a second caution.

Drawing Attention to Himself

However, the player made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the young midfielder's frustration when he clocked that he would be substituted for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and even though he exchanged a handshake on his way to the sideline it was obvious that the head coach was displeased.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for delivering the cross for Kane to head in his second goal, but his other actions was self-defeating. It is not as if arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has talked so much about honoring the team structure and the value of showing proper conduct.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, not included in the team last month, has faced close inspection upon his return to the squad recently. In effect he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours with his response to being taken off as the national team wrapped up a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

It means the jury is out on how the squad function at their best with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested from the manager in the beginning. Under him, England have gained the squad structure and clarity lately, employing a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different in this match. The young defender was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton made his first start at this level and the use of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was similar look to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. Several hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player early on. The team looked disjointed after halftime. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card was shown after he lost the ball to Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Finally the bench quality proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Foden, who appeared more naturally fitted to the role occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and Saka. Eventually Saka provided a set-piece for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital next summer.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was partly forgotten amid the drama of the player change. When the match concluded, everyone was watching the midfielder. Tuchel walked up behind him and directed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the English fans. The bond between them is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to abandon Bellingham yet. Yet whether the coach is prepared to give him a starring role is still uncertain.