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If Jude Bellingham wants to fight his way back into England’s strongest squad, he would be wise to cut out the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted upon realizing that his number was going up after a match of inconsistency in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stick to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the squad members who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no need for an outburst. The captain had recently scored to make England leading by two in a meaningless fixture, the game had six minutes to go and the player, after a below-par performance, received a caution for fouling the Albanian striker. This was hardly a debatable decision. Actually it would have been unwise for Tuchel to leave Bellingham on because there was a chance the midfielder would rule himself out of the first match of the tournament by receiving a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus to Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s disappointment when he clocked that he would be substituted for a teammate. He threw his arms up and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the touchline there was no doubt that Tuchel was displeased.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for delivering the cross for the captain to score his second goal, but everything else was counterproductive. It is not as if arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has talked so much about following squad protocols and the importance of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

He, omitted from last month’s squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the fold this month. Essentially his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to being taken off as the side rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a feisty challenge from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

It means the jury is out on whether England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. He has provided England organization and direction over the past few matches, employing a No 6, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed in this match. Quansah was handed his international debut, the midfielder started for the first time for England and the positioning of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze during the second half but at times seemed too desperate to impress. He made many hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. England's play was messy for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham squandered possession. His booking was shown after an opponent took the ball from Broja and brought down Broja.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who seemed more naturally fitted to the spot occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Saka. In time Saka delivered a corner for the captain to score the first goal. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will play a key role next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was a little lost amid the drama of the player change. After the final whistle, all eyes were on him. Tuchel walked up from behind and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the away supporters. Their relationship remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on him at this stage. Yet whether the coach is prepared to give him a starring role is not guaranteed.