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If Jude Bellingham hopes to earn his place once again into England’s top squad, he would be wise to eliminate the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that he was being shown following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the teammates who enter the game," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it being a professional."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no need for an outburst. Harry Kane had recently scored to make England two goals ahead in a meaningless match, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for bringing down Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Indeed 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 initial fixture of the tournament by receiving a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus to Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s annoyance when he clocked that he was going to make way for another player. He threw his arms up and even though he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the touchline it was obvious that Tuchel was not impressed.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated his teammate for delivering the cross for Kane to head in his second goal, but his other actions was self-defeating. There was no chance protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has talked so much about following squad protocols and the importance of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, omitted from the team last month, has been under scrutiny upon his return to the fold recently. Practically he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to his substitution as the national team rounded off a ideal group stage by overcoming a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

This implies opinions are divided on if England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach at the start. He has given the team a clear system in recent months, employing a No 6, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but it felt different versus 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 makeshift midfielder created a similar look to City's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for his teammate during the second half but at times seemed overly eager to shine. He made many hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash against an opponent in the early stages. The team looked disjointed after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. His caution came after he was dispossessed to Broja and fouled the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

In the end the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who appeared more comfortable to the position that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka whipped in a corner kick for the captain to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital in the upcoming tournament.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for the second goal was somewhat overlooked due to the fuss of the player change. When the match concluded, the focus was on the midfielder. The coach approached behind him and pushed Bellingham in the direction of the English fans. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to give up on him at this stage. Yet whether he is willing to give him the central position is not guaranteed.