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If Jude Bellingham hopes to fight his way once again into the English top team, the smart move to do away with the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted when he saw that he was being shown after an evening of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect for the players who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no need for a strop. Kane had just put the national team two goals ahead in a meaningless match, there were six minutes left and he, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for fouling the Albanian striker. It was not a controversial substitution. In fact it might have been reckless for the manager to not substitute him given that there was a risk he would be suspended of the first match of the World Cup by receiving a another booking.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and although he exchanged a handshake while heading to the touchline there was no doubt that the manager was not impressed.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for providing the assist for Kane to head in his second goal, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. It's not like complaining was going to alter the decision. The coach has talked so much about following squad protocols and the importance of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, left out of the previous squad, is being watched carefully after returning to the squad in the current camp. In effect he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him with his response to being taken off as the side rounded off a flawless qualification run by defeating a tough opposition from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

It means it's unclear on whether England operate most effectively including Bellingham. The performance was not definitive. There was experimentation from the manager early on. He has given the team a clear system over the past few matches, building with a holding player, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed in this match. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder started for the first time for England and the positioning of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder created a similar look to City's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for Eze during the second half but often looked overly eager to shine. Several rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash against an opponent in the early stages. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after an opponent took the ball by Broja and brought down the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end the bench quality proved crucial. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the spot in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka provided a corner for Harry Kane to score the first goal. It was a reminder that set pieces will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel came over behind him and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the travelling England fans. The bond between them remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard him at this stage. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to give him a starring role is not guaranteed.