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If Jude Bellingham hopes to fight his way once again into the English strongest squad, the smart move to do away with the dramatics. His response when he saw that the substitute board was being shown after an evening of uneven play in Tirana was not good enough.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who come in," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for an outburst. The captain had just put the national team two goals ahead in a dead rubber fixture, the game had six minutes to go and he, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for fouling Armando Broja. This was hardly a questionable change. In fact it would have been foolish for the manager to not substitute him considering it was possible Bellingham would be suspended of the opening game of the World Cup by picking up a second caution.

Drawing Attention to Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the player's annoyance when he clocked that his replacement was ready for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and although he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the touchline it was clear that the manager did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for the captain to score his second of the night, but the rest was counterproductive. There was no chance arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The German has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, left out of the previous squad, is being watched carefully upon his return to the team this month. In effect his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the national team rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a spirited effort from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

As a result opinions are divided on how the squad operate most effectively with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel at the start. He has provided the team organization and direction over the past few matches, building with a holding player, a No 8, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel against Albania. The young defender was handed his international debut, the midfielder was in the starting lineup at this level and the positioning of Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a faint echo to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for his teammate in the latter period but at times seemed too desperate to impress. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player at the beginning. England were ragged for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania came after he lost the ball cheaply. His booking occurred when an opponent took the ball from Broja and fouled Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel introduced Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the spot occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations are going to be vital next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

However, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the player change. At the end, everyone was watching the midfielder. Tuchel came over behind him and directed Bellingham towards the English fans. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon the player just yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to offer him a starring role is still uncertain.