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If Jude Bellingham wants to force his way back into England’s strongest starting eleven, it would be smart to cut out the nonsense. His reaction upon realizing that the substitute board was going up following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the squad members who come in," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you need to comply being a professional."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a strop. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it England leading by two in a meaningless fixture, the game had six minutes to go and he, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for fouling the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. In fact it might have been reckless for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering there was a chance Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the first match of the tournament by picking up a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the sideline it was clear that the manager was not impressed.

This is the challenge facing Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for the captain to nod home the team's second, but the rest was counterproductive. There was no chance complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the value of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, omitted from last month’s squad, is being watched carefully upon his return to the team recently. Practically his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours with his response to his substitution as the national team wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a tough opposition from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

This implies the jury is out on whether England perform optimally when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was not definitive. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. Under him, England have gained England structure and clarity lately, employing a holding player, a central midfielder, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different in this match. The young defender was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the use of Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to City's 2023 treble winners.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for Eze in the latter period but at times seemed trying too hard. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent at the beginning. The team looked disjointed after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents followed he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card came after he was dispossessed to Broja and fouled Broja.

Substitutes Decide

Finally England’s depth made the difference. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who appeared better suited to the position in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and the Arsenal winger. In time Saka whipped in a set-piece for the captain to score the first goal. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will be crucial at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the player change. After the final whistle, the focus was on him. The coach approached behind him and directed the player in the direction of the travelling England fans. The bond between them is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on Bellingham yet. But if the coach is prepared to give him centre stage is not guaranteed.