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If Jude Bellingham hopes to fight his way into England’s best starting eleven, he would be wise to cut out the nonsense. The way he reacted when he saw that he was about to come up after a match of mixed performance in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the players who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Kane had just put England 2-0 up in a meaningless qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, received a caution for fouling Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Actually it would have been foolish for the manager to leave Bellingham on because it was possible he would make himself ineligible of the first match of the World Cup by receiving a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

However, the player made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the player's frustration as he realized that he was going to make way for a teammate. He threw his arms up and although he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the touchline it was clear that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He praised his teammate for providing the assist for the captain to score his second of the night, but the rest was self-defeating. There was no chance protesting was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has talked so much about honoring the team structure and the importance of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, left out of last month’s squad, is being watched carefully after returning to the fold recently. Practically he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case with his response to being taken off as the national team wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a feisty challenge from Albania.

The System and the Setup

It means opinions are divided on whether the team function at their best including Bellingham. The evidence here was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested by the coach at the start. Under him, England have gained the squad a clear system in recent months, employing a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel against Albania. Quansah was handed his international debut, the midfielder was in the starting lineup internationally and the role of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to City's team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for Eze in the latter period but often looked too desperate to impress. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player early on. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card occurred when he was dispossessed from Broja and brought down 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 Saka. Eventually Saka provided a corner for Harry Kane to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel walked up to his side and guided Bellingham towards the away supporters. The bond between them is not broken. The coach isn't ready to discard him at this stage. Yet whether he is willing to grant him the central position is not guaranteed.