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If Jude Bellingham aims to fight his way into the English top team, the smart move to eliminate the nonsense. The way he reacted when he saw that his number was going up after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the squad members who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you need to comply when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for an outburst. Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions 2-0 up in a dead rubber match, with only six minutes remaining and the player, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for fouling Armando Broja. This was hardly a debatable decision. In fact it would have been foolish for the head coach to not substitute him considering there was a risk he would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the tournament by receiving a another booking.

Drawing Attention to Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the young midfielder's frustration when he clocked that his replacement was ready for another player. He threw his arms up and while he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the sideline it was clear that the manager did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Kane to score the team's second, but everything else was harmful to his cause. It is not as if arguing was going to alter the decision. The coach has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the value of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, omitted from the team last month, has faced close inspection after returning to the squad this month. Essentially he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to being taken off as the side rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a spirited effort from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

This implies it's unclear on whether England function at their best including Bellingham. The performance was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach early on. He has given the team structure and clarity in recent months, employing a holding player, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but there was a different feel against Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder was in the starting lineup for England and the use of Stones as a part-time midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze during the second half but frequently appeared trying too hard. He made many poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder early on. England's play was messy for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania followed he lost the ball cheaply. His caution was shown after an opponent took the ball by Broja and fouled the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who appeared better suited to the position in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Saka. Eventually Saka delivered a corner kick for the captain to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was a little lost amid the drama of the player change. At the end, the focus was on Bellingham. The coach approached from behind and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to discard the player just yet. However, whether he is willing to offer him a starring role is still uncertain.