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If Jude Bellingham wants to force his way into the English strongest starting eleven, he would be wise to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His reaction when he saw that his number was going up following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the teammates who enter the game," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you must accept them being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for an outburst. Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions two goals ahead in a meaningless match, with only six minutes remaining and he, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for fouling Armando Broja. It was not a questionable change. Indeed it would have been foolish for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that it was possible the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the competition by picking up a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the player's annoyance upon understanding that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the sideline it was obvious that the head coach did not appreciate it.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to score the team's second, but his other actions was self-defeating. There was no chance complaining was going to alter the decision. The coach has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the value of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, not included in last month’s squad, is being watched carefully upon his return to the squad in the current camp. Practically he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to his substitution as England rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.

The System and the Setup

It means the jury is out on how the squad operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. What we saw was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach at the start. Under him, England have gained the squad a clear system lately, employing a holding player, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but it felt different versus Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, Wharton made his first start for England and the positioning of Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a passing resemblance to City's team that won three trophies.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for his teammate in the latter period but at times seemed too desperate to impress. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. The team looked disjointed after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card was shown after he lost the ball from Broja and fouled the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who looked better suited to the role that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka whipped in a set-piece for the captain to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role at the World Cup.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of the winger's delivery for the second goal was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the player change. When the match concluded, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel came over from behind and pushed the player in the direction of the away supporters. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on Bellingham yet. But if the coach is prepared to give him a starring role remains in doubt.