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If Jude Bellingham aims to fight his way into England’s top squad, it would be smart to cut out the nonsense. His response upon realizing that the substitute board was going up following a night of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the players who enter the game," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for an outburst. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the national team two goals ahead in a meaningless fixture, with only six minutes remaining and the player, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for bringing down an opponent. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Actually it would have been foolish for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that there was a chance the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the competition by receiving a second caution.

Shifting Focus to Himself

However, the player made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s frustration upon understanding that he would be substituted for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and although he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the bench it was obvious that the head coach did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge facing Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Kane to head in his second of the night, but his other actions was counterproductive. There was no chance protesting was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has talked so much about following squad protocols and the necessity of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

Bellingham, left out of last month’s squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the team in the current camp. In effect he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours with his response to being taken off as the side completed a flawless qualification run by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

It means the jury is out on whether England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel early on. He has given the squad organization and direction in recent months, employing a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton made his first start for England and the role of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was similar look to Manchester City’s 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash with a rival player early on. England were ragged during most of the second period. One Albania chance followed he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card came after an opponent took the ball from Broja and brought down the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the squad's strength proved crucial. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who seemed more comfortable to the role occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka whipped in a corner for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks will play a key role at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel came over from behind and pushed the player in the direction of the away supporters. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on the player just yet. But if he is willing to give him a starring role remains in doubt.