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If Jude Bellingham aims to force his way into the English top squad, he would be wise to cut out the nonsense. His response upon realizing that his number was about to come up following a night of inconsistency in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the squad members who come in," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no need for a tantrum. The captain had just put England leading by two in a dead rubber match, the game had six minutes to go and the player, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for a foul on an opponent. It was not a controversial substitution. Indeed it would have been foolish for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that there was a chance Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the tournament by receiving a another booking.

Shifting Focus to Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s frustration upon understanding that his replacement was ready for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and while he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the bench it was clear that the head coach did not appreciate it.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Kane to score his second of the night, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. There was no chance complaining was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the importance of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, omitted from the team last month, is being watched carefully upon his return to the fold this month. In effect he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours with his response to his substitution as England completed a flawless qualification run by overcoming a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

It means it's unclear on how England function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The performance was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested by the coach at the start. He has given the squad a clear system lately, using a No 6, a central midfielder, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. The young defender was made his England debut, Adam Wharton started for the first time internationally and the positioning of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder gave a similar look 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 his teammate after the break but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. He made many rushed, misplaced 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. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after he lost the ball by Broja and fouled the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength made the difference. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who appeared more comfortable to the position occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Saka. Later Saka whipped in a corner kick for Kane to score the first goal. It highlighted that dead-ball situations are going to be vital next summer.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, all eyes were on him. The coach approached to his side and directed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to abandon Bellingham yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to grant him centre stage is still uncertain.