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If Jude Bellingham hopes to earn his place into the English strongest starting eleven, the smart move to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His response when he saw that the substitute board was about to come up after a match of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect for the squad members who come in," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you must accept them when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a strop. The captain had just put the national team leading by two in a dead rubber match, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for a foul on an opponent. It was not a debatable decision. Indeed it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on because there was a chance the midfielder would be suspended of the opening game of the World Cup by picking up a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's disappointment as he realized that he was going to make way for a teammate. He threw his arms up and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the bench there was no doubt that the head coach was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to nod home his second goal, but his other actions was self-defeating. It's not like complaining was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the value of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, not included in the team last month, is being watched carefully upon his return to the fold in the current camp. In effect he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the side rounded off a ideal group stage by seeing off a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

As a result the jury is out on if the squad operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. What we saw was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things from the manager at the start. He has given the team organization and direction in recent months, employing a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed against Albania. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, Wharton was in the starting lineup for England and the role of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eze during the second half but at times seemed overly eager to shine. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash against an opponent at the beginning. England's play was messy during most of the second period. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking came after an opponent took the ball to Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Finally the squad's strength made the difference. Tuchel threw on Foden, who seemed better suited to the role that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka whipped in a corner kick for the captain to open the scoring. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations will play a key role next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the player change. After the final whistle, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel walked up to his side and pushed Bellingham towards the travelling England fans. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to abandon Bellingham yet. However, whether he is willing to offer him the central position is not guaranteed.