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If Jude Bellingham hopes to fight his way once again into England’s best squad, the smart move to do away with the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that he was being shown after an evening of inconsistency in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the players who come in," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a strop. Kane had recently scored to make England leading by two in a dead rubber match, the game had six minutes to go and the player, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for bringing down the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Indeed it would have been foolish for the manager to not substitute him because there was a risk he would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the World Cup by getting a another booking.

Drawing Attention to Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's annoyance as he realized that he was going to make way for another player. He threw his arms up and while he exchanged a handshake on his way to the bench it was obvious that the head coach did not appreciate it.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated his teammate for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to nod home the team's second, but his other actions was counterproductive. There was no chance complaining was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has repeatedly emphasized following squad protocols and the necessity of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, omitted from last month’s squad, is being watched carefully upon his return to the team this month. In effect he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to his substitution as England completed a flawless qualification run by overcoming a feisty challenge from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

This implies it's unclear on how the squad function at their best including Bellingham. The performance was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things by the coach early on. He has given the team a clear system in recent months, employing a No 6, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but it felt different in this match. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup for England and the positioning of the defender as a makeshift midfielder created a similar look to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eze during the second half but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England were ragged after halftime. An opportunity for Albania resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card came after he was dispossessed to Broja and brought down the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the bench quality made the difference. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who appeared better suited to the role that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner for Harry Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the player change. At the end, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel walked up behind him and directed the player towards the English fans. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to discard Bellingham yet. But if he is willing to give him a starring role is still uncertain.