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If Jude Bellingham aims to force his way back into England’s strongest squad, he would be wise to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted upon realizing that he was being shown following a night of uneven play in Tirana was not good enough.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who come in," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you must accept them being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for an outburst. Kane had just put the Three Lions leading by two in a meaningless fixture, there were six minutes left and the player, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for bringing down the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. Indeed it might have been reckless for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch because there was a chance Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the World Cup by receiving a second caution.

Drawing Attention to Himself

But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's annoyance upon understanding that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and while he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the touchline it was clear that the manager was displeased.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded his teammate for providing the assist for Kane to head in the team's second, but his other actions was self-defeating. It is not as if complaining was going to alter the decision. The coach has talked so much about following squad protocols and the value of showing proper conduct.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, omitted from the previous squad, has faced close inspection after returning to the fold recently. In effect his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him with his response to being taken off as the national team rounded off a flawless qualification run by defeating a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

As a result it's unclear on if the team perform optimally including Bellingham. What we saw was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach in the beginning. He has given the team organization and direction lately, building with a No 6, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, the midfielder made his first start at this level and the use of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder gave a passing resemblance to City's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for his teammate in the latter period but often looked overly eager to shine. Several poorly executed passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. The team looked disjointed after halftime. An opportunity for Albania came after he lost the ball cheaply. His caution was shown after he was dispossessed by Broja and fouled Broja.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the bench quality proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who looked more comfortable to the position in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Saka. Later Saka whipped in a corner kick for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations are going to be vital next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for the second goal was partly forgotten amid the drama 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 away supporters. Their relationship is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to give up on him at this stage. However, whether the coach is prepared to give him centre stage is not guaranteed.