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If Jude Bellingham hopes to fight his way back into England’s top team, he would be wise to eliminate the dramatics. His reaction upon realizing that he was being shown after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the teammates who enter the game," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them being a professional."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a strop. Kane had just put the Three Lions leading by two in a dead rubber match, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for fouling Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. Actually it might have been reckless for Tuchel to not substitute him because it was possible he would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the tournament by receiving a another booking.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s frustration as he realized that his replacement was ready for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and although he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the bench it was obvious that the head coach was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Kane to score his second goal, but the rest was harmful to his cause. There was no chance protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the importance of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, not included in the team last month, is being watched carefully upon his return to the team in the current camp. Essentially he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to his substitution as the national team completed a flawless qualification run by seeing off a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

This implies opinions are divided on how the squad function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things by the coach at the start. He has provided the team a clear system in recent months, using a holding player, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel in this match. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, Wharton made his first start at this level and the use of the defender as a part-time midfielder meant there was 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 in the latter period but at times seemed overly eager to shine. He made many hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England's play was messy after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking came after he lost the ball from Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel threw on Foden, who seemed more naturally fitted to the spot in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka provided a set-piece for Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was a little lost amid the drama of the player change. When the match concluded, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel walked up to his side and directed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the English fans. Their relationship is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to discard the player just yet. However, whether he is willing to offer him centre stage is not guaranteed.