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If Jude Bellingham hopes to earn his place once again into the English strongest starting eleven, it would be smart to do away with the nonsense. His reaction when he saw that his number was about to come up following a night of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the teammates who come in," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Kane had only moments earlier made it the national team two goals ahead in a meaningless fixture, with only six minutes remaining and the player, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for fouling Armando Broja. This was hardly a controversial substitution. In fact it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on because there was a chance he would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the tournament by receiving a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention to Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s frustration as he realized that he was going to make way for another player. He threw his arms up and even though he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the touchline it was clear that the manager was not impressed.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated his teammate for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to head in the team's second, but everything else was self-defeating. It's not like protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the value of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

He, omitted from the previous squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the fold this month. In effect his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to being taken off as England rounded off a ideal group stage by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

It means it's unclear on if the squad perform optimally including Bellingham. What we saw was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested from the manager early on. He has given the team a clear system over the past few matches, employing a holding player, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and specialist wingers, but the approach changed in this match. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, the midfielder was in the starting lineup at this level and the role of the defender as a makeshift midfielder created a similar look to Manchester City’s 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze after the break but often looked trying too hard. Several poorly executed passes. A pointless clash against an opponent early on. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after an opponent took the ball to Broja and brought down the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the squad's strength proved crucial. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who looked more naturally fitted to the spot in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Saka. Eventually Saka delivered a corner kick for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

However, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was a little lost amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, everyone was watching the midfielder. The coach approached to his side and guided the Real Madrid midfielder towards the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to give up on him at this stage. But if Tuchel is inclined to grant him centre stage remains in doubt.