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If Jude Bellingham wants to fight his way into the English strongest team, the smart move to do away with the dramatics. The way he reacted upon realizing that he was being shown after a match of uneven play in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to overstate it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the teammates who come in," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you must accept them being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for an outburst. The captain had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions leading by two in a dead rubber match, there were six minutes left and he, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for bringing down an opponent. This was hardly a questionable change. Actually it would have been foolish for the manager to leave Bellingham on given that there was a chance Bellingham would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the competition by picking up a second caution.

Shifting Focus on Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the young midfielder's disappointment upon understanding that he would be substituted for another player. He flung his arms in the air and even though he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the bench it was obvious that Tuchel was displeased.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Kane to head in his second goal, but the rest was counterproductive. It's not like protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the importance of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

He, left out of the previous squad, has been under scrutiny upon his return to the squad in the current camp. In effect his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to his substitution as England wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

It means the jury is out on how England perform optimally when Bellingham plays. The performance was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel at the start. Under him, England have gained the squad organization and direction in recent months, building with a holding player, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the positioning of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder created a faint echo to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but often looked trying too hard. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player at the beginning. The team looked disjointed after halftime. An opportunity for Albania resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. His booking came after an opponent took the ball by Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

In the end England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel introduced Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the spot that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and Saka. In time Saka provided a corner kick for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. It highlighted that set pieces will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for the second goal was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. At the end, all eyes were on him. The coach approached from behind and guided the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the English fans. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard the player just yet. However, whether he is willing to offer him the central position remains in doubt.