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If Jude Bellingham hopes to fight his way back into England’s strongest team, the smart move to cut out the dramatics. His reaction when he saw that he was going up after an evening of inconsistency in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"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 substitute on," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you must accept them when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no need for a strop. Kane had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions two goals ahead in an inconsequential fixture, with only six minutes remaining and he, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for bringing down Armando Broja. It was not a debatable decision. In fact it would have been foolish for the manager to not substitute him considering it was possible he would rule himself out of the first match of the World Cup by receiving a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention to Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s annoyance as he realized that his replacement was ready for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and although he exchanged a handshake on his way to the sideline there was no doubt that the manager was not impressed.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to score the team's second, but his other actions was counterproductive. It's not like protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the importance of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, left out of the team last month, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the fold recently. In effect he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to his substitution as the national team rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a tough opposition from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

This implies it's unclear on if the squad operate most effectively including Bellingham. What we saw was not definitive. There was experimentation by the coach early on. Under him, England have gained the team organization and direction in recent months, using a holding player, a central midfielder, a playmaker and specialist wingers, but the approach changed in this match. Quansah was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the role of Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a similar look to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for his teammate after the break but often looked too desperate to impress. He made many hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player early on. England were ragged for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents came after Bellingham squandered possession. His booking came after he was dispossessed by Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the role that Bellingham had played during the first half, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka whipped in a corner for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations will play a key role at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. At the end, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel came over to his side and directed Bellingham towards the English fans. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to discard the player just yet. But if he is willing to offer him the central position remains in doubt.