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If Jude Bellingham wants to earn his place once again into the English top starting eleven, he would be wise to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that the substitute board was about to come up following a night of uneven play in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who enter the game," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions 2-0 up in an inconsequential match, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for bringing down the Albanian striker. It was not a questionable change. Indeed it would have been foolish for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that there was a risk he would be suspended of the first match of the World Cup by receiving a second caution.

Shifting Focus to Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the player's disappointment as he realized that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and although he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the sideline it was clear that the head coach was not impressed.

This is the challenge facing Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Kane to nod home the team's second, but his other actions was counterproductive. There was no chance complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The coach has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the value of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, omitted from last month’s squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the team this month. Essentially his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him with his response to his substitution as the national team rounded off a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

As a result the jury is out on if England perform optimally including Bellingham. The performance was not definitive. There was experimentation by the coach early on. He has given England structure and clarity in recent months, using a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel against Albania. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, Wharton made his first start internationally and the positioning of John Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a similar look to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for Eze during the second half but at times seemed overly eager to shine. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. The team looked disjointed after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents came after Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card was shown after he was dispossessed from Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

Ultimately the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who appeared more naturally fitted to the position that Bellingham had played during the first half, and Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner kick for Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was a little lost amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. At the end, the focus was on Bellingham. Tuchel came over behind him and directed the player to acknowledge the away supporters. Their relationship remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to abandon the player just yet. But if the coach is prepared to offer him a starring role is still uncertain.