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If Jude Bellingham wants to earn his place into England’s best squad, it would be smart to cut out the nonsense. His response upon realizing that he was about to come up after a match of mixed performance in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the teammates who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you need to comply when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a strop. The captain had only moments earlier made it England 2-0 up in an inconsequential qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and the player, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for fouling an opponent. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. In fact it would have been foolish for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering it was possible the midfielder would rule himself out of the opening game of the World Cup by getting a another booking.

Shifting Focus to Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the young midfielder's annoyance when he clocked that he was going to make way for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and while he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the sideline it was obvious that Tuchel was not impressed.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to nod home his second goal, but everything else was self-defeating. It is not as if complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the importance of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, left out of the previous squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the fold recently. In effect he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to being taken off as the national team rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

This implies the jury is out on if England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things from the manager in the beginning. He has provided the team organization and direction over the past few matches, employing a holding player, a No 8, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel against Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup at this level and the role of John Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a passing resemblance to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for his teammate in the latter period but often looked trying too hard. Several poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent in the early stages. England were ragged after halftime. An opportunity for Albania came after he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card was shown after he lost the ball to Broja and brought down Broja.

Substitutes Decide

In the end the squad's strength made the difference. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who seemed more comfortable to the spot occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner for the captain to open the scoring. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks will play a key role next summer.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel walked up behind him and guided Bellingham towards the away supporters. Their connection is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon Bellingham yet. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to grant him a starring role remains in doubt.