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If Jude Bellingham wants to fight his way once again into England’s strongest squad, he would be wise to cut out the nonsense. The way he reacted when he saw that the substitute board was about to come up following a night of uneven play in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not make more out of it but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the players who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a strop. Kane had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions two goals ahead in a dead rubber match, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for bringing down Armando Broja. It was not a questionable change. Actually it might have been reckless for the head coach to not substitute him considering it was possible he would be suspended of the first match of the World Cup by receiving a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s disappointment upon understanding that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and while he exchanged a handshake while heading to the bench it was clear that the head coach was displeased.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for the captain to nod home his second of the night, but his other actions was self-defeating. It is not as if arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the importance of showing proper conduct.

In the Spotlight

He, not included in the team last month, has faced close inspection after returning to the squad this month. Essentially he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to his substitution as England wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a tough opposition from Albania.

The System and the Setup

It means opinions are divided on if England perform optimally when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested from the manager in the beginning. He has given the squad a clear system in recent months, using a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Quansah was handed his international debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the positioning of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was faint echo to City's historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player early on. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking occurred when he lost the ball from Broja and brought down the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally England’s depth made the difference. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who looked better suited to the spot in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Saka. In time Saka delivered a corner for the captain to score the first goal. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, all eyes were on Bellingham. The coach approached from behind and directed the player to acknowledge the away supporters. The bond between them is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard him at this stage. Yet whether he is willing to offer him centre stage is not guaranteed.