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If Jude Bellingham wants to force his way into the English top squad, he would be wise to cut out the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted after noticing that he was going up after a match of uneven play in Tirana was not good enough.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who come in," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you must accept them as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for a tantrum. The captain had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions leading by two in an inconsequential qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for fouling the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. Indeed it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on considering there was a chance the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the competition by getting a second caution.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's disappointment upon understanding that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and although he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the sideline there was no doubt that the manager was not impressed.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated Rashford for providing the assist for the captain to head in his second of the night, but his other actions was counterproductive. It's not like complaining was going to reverse the substitution. The German has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of acting professionally.

Facing Examination

He, not included in last month’s squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the squad recently. Practically he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to being taken off as England completed a flawless qualification run by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.

The System and the Setup

As a result the jury is out on how the team perform optimally including Bellingham. The performance was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel at the start. Under him, England have gained England organization and direction over the past few matches, using a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the use of John Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a passing resemblance to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for Eze after the break but often looked trying too hard. He made many poorly executed passes. A pointless clash with a rival player at the beginning. England's play was messy for much of the second half. One Albania chance followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution came after he lost the ball by Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the squad's strength made the difference. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the role in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner for the captain to open the scoring. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for the second goal was somewhat overlooked due to the fuss of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, the focus was on the midfielder. The coach approached from behind and directed the player towards the away supporters. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on Bellingham yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to give him centre stage is not guaranteed.