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If Jude Bellingham hopes to force his way back into England’s best squad, he would be wise to eliminate the nonsense. The way he reacted after noticing that his number was being shown after a match of uneven play in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the teammates who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for an outburst. The captain had recently scored to make the national team 2-0 up in a meaningless fixture, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for a foul on Armando Broja. This was hardly a controversial substitution. Actually it might have been reckless for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering it was possible Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the competition by getting a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the player's annoyance when he clocked that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and while he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the bench it was clear that Tuchel was not impressed.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to nod home his second of the night, but the rest was counterproductive. There was no chance protesting was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the importance of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, left out of last month’s squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the team recently. Essentially he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to coming off the pitch as the side completed a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a tough opposition from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

As a result the jury is out on whether the squad perform optimally when Bellingham plays. The performance was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel early on. Under him, England have gained England structure and clarity over the past few matches, employing a No 6, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different in this match. Quansah was made his England debut, the midfielder made his first start at this level and the role of Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was faint echo to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for his teammate in the latter period but frequently appeared trying too hard. Several poorly executed passes. A pointless clash against an opponent in the early stages. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham squandered possession. His caution occurred when he lost the ball to Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

In the end England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who appeared more comfortable to the position that Bellingham had played during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a set-piece for Harry Kane to score the first goal. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will play a key role next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the player change. When the match concluded, the focus was on Bellingham. Tuchel walked up from behind and directed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the travelling England fans. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to abandon Bellingham yet. Yet whether he is willing to offer him centre stage is not guaranteed.