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If Jude Bellingham wants to force his way once again into the English top starting eleven, the smart move to eliminate the nonsense. His response after noticing that his number was about to come up following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the squad members who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no need for a strop. Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions 2-0 up in a dead rubber fixture, the game had six minutes to go and the player, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for bringing down Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. In fact it would have been foolish for Tuchel to not substitute him considering there was a chance Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the tournament by getting a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the young midfielder's annoyance upon understanding that he would be substituted for a teammate. He threw his arms up and even though he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the touchline it was obvious that the head coach was displeased.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to head in his second of the night, but everything else was harmful to his cause. It is not as if arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The German has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the value of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, not included in last month’s squad, is being watched carefully since coming back to the fold this month. Essentially his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours with his response to his substitution as England wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a spirited effort from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

It means the jury is out on if the team function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The performance was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel at the start. Under him, England have gained England organization and direction over the past few matches, employing a holding player, a No 8, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. The young defender was handed his international debut, Wharton started for the first time at this level and the role of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder created a similar look to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. 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 a rival player early on. England were ragged after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card was shown after he was dispossessed from Broja and fouled the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Finally the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the position occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka whipped in a corner for the captain to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Bridge Still Stands

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. At the end, everyone was watching him. Tuchel came over behind him and guided the Real Madrid midfielder towards the English fans. Their connection is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to discard him at this stage. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to give him centre stage is not guaranteed.