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If Jude Bellingham hopes to earn his place back into the English best squad, it would be smart to cut out the nonsense. His response when he saw that the substitute board was about to come up after an evening of inconsistency in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the players who come in," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it being a professional."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for an outburst. Harry Kane had recently scored to make England leading by two in a meaningless qualifier, there were six minutes left and the player, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for fouling Armando Broja. It was not a questionable change. Indeed it would have been unwise for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering it was possible Bellingham would be suspended of the first match of the World Cup by getting a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus to Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the player's annoyance when he clocked that he was going to make way for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and although he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the sideline it was obvious that the head coach did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He congratulated Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to head in the team's second, but the rest was counterproductive. It is not as if protesting was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the importance of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, omitted from the previous squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the squad in the current camp. In effect he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours with his response to coming off the pitch as England completed a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

As a result the jury is out on whether the team operate most effectively including Bellingham. The performance was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel in the beginning. He has provided the squad structure and clarity in recent months, using a No 6, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, Adam Wharton started for the first time internationally and the positioning of John Stones as a part-time midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for his teammate during the second half but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. Several hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. England's play was messy after halftime. One Albania chance followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution came after he lost the ball by Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the squad's strength proved crucial. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who looked better suited to the role occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and the Arsenal winger. In time Saka provided a set-piece for the captain to open the scoring. It highlighted that dead-ball situations are going to be vital in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of the winger's delivery for the second goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel came over to his side and directed the player to acknowledge the away supporters. Their relationship remains intact. The coach isn't ready to abandon Bellingham yet. Yet whether the coach is prepared to grant him centre stage is not guaranteed.