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If Jude Bellingham hopes to force his way into the English strongest team, it would be smart to do away with the dramatics. The way he reacted upon realizing that he was going up following a night of uneven play in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the squad members who come in," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you must accept them as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a strop. The captain had only moments earlier made it England two goals ahead in a dead rubber fixture, the game had six minutes to go and he, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for bringing down Armando Broja. This was hardly a controversial substitution. In fact it would have been unwise for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering it was possible Bellingham would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the World Cup by receiving a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention to Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the player's disappointment as he realized that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and although he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the touchline it was obvious that Tuchel was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated Rashford for providing the assist for Kane to score the team's second, but everything else was counterproductive. It's not like protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has talked so much about following squad protocols and the value of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, left out of the team last month, has faced close inspection since coming back to the team recently. Essentially his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to his substitution as the side rounded off a flawless qualification run by overcoming a tough opposition from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

This implies opinions are divided on how England perform optimally when Bellingham plays. What we saw was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach early on. He has provided the squad structure and clarity over the past few matches, employing a defensive midfielder, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but it felt different versus Albania. The young defender was handed his international debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup for England and the role of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder gave a similar look to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze after the break but often looked too desperate to impress. Several hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent at the beginning. England's play was messy for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham squandered possession. His booking occurred when an opponent took the ball to Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who appeared better suited to the position occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and Saka. Eventually Saka provided a set-piece for the captain to break the deadlock. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will be crucial at the World Cup.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel came over to his side and guided the player towards the away supporters. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard the player just yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to offer him a starring role is still uncertain.