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If Jude Bellingham hopes to fight his way back into the English strongest squad, it would be smart to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His reaction when he saw that the substitute board was being shown after a match of mixed performance 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 squad members who come in," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you need to comply as a player."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a tantrum. Kane had only moments earlier made it England 2-0 up in an inconsequential match, with only six minutes remaining and he, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for fouling the Albanian striker. This was hardly a controversial substitution. In fact it might have been reckless for the head coach to not substitute him because there was a risk Bellingham would be suspended of the first match of the competition by receiving a another booking.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

However, the player made himself the center of attention. No one could overlook the young midfielder's annoyance upon understanding that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and even though he exchanged a handshake on his way to the touchline it was obvious that the head coach did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Kane to nod home his second of the night, but everything else was harmful to his cause. There was no chance arguing was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the value of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, omitted from last month’s squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the team this month. Essentially he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him with his response to being taken off as the side completed a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a feisty challenge from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

This implies it's unclear on whether the squad function at their best including Bellingham. The evidence here was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested from the manager in the beginning. He has given the team a clear system over the past few matches, building with a holding player, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed in this match. The young defender was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton made his first start internationally and the positioning of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to City's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for his teammate in the latter period but at times seemed trying too hard. He made many hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash against an opponent at the beginning. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. His booking was shown after an opponent took the ball by Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who seemed more naturally fitted to the position that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner kick for Harry Kane to score the first goal. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, all eyes were on him. The coach approached behind him and directed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the English fans. Their relationship is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to discard him at this stage. Yet whether he is willing to grant him a starring role is not guaranteed.