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If Jude Bellingham hopes to fight his way back into the English best starting eleven, it would be smart to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His reaction after noticing that he was being shown after an evening of mixed performance in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the players who come in," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you must accept them being a professional."

The midfielder must understand. There was no need for a tantrum. Kane had only moments earlier made it England leading by two in an inconsequential fixture, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for fouling an opponent. It was not a debatable decision. Actually it would have been foolish for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering it was possible the midfielder would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the World Cup by picking up a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's frustration upon understanding that he would be substituted for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and while he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the touchline it was clear that the head coach was displeased.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to nod home his second goal, but his other actions was counterproductive. There was no chance protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the importance of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

He, left out of the previous squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the fold this month. Essentially he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to being taken off as England rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a spirited effort from Albania.

The System and the Setup

It means it's unclear on whether the team operate most effectively including Bellingham. The performance was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested from the manager in the beginning. He has provided England structure and clarity in recent months, building with a holding player, a No 8, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed in this match. The young defender was made his England debut, the midfielder started for the first time at this level and the positioning of Stones as a part-time midfielder meant there was similar look to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for Eze after the break but at times seemed trying too hard. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. One Albania chance resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. His caution was shown after he lost the ball to Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

Ultimately England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel introduced Foden, who seemed better suited to the spot in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Saka. Later Saka whipped in a corner for Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will play a key role next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was a little lost amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel came over from behind and directed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the away supporters. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on Bellingham yet. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to grant him the central position is not guaranteed.