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If Jude Bellingham wants to fight his way back into the English strongest starting eleven, the smart move to cut out the dramatics. His response when he saw that his number was going up following a night of mixed performance in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the squad members who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you must accept them being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for a strop. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it England 2-0 up in a dead rubber fixture, with only six minutes remaining and the player, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for fouling the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Indeed it would have been foolish for the manager to leave Bellingham on considering there was a risk the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the first match of the competition by picking up a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus on Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the player's annoyance as he realized that he would be substituted for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the touchline it was clear that the manager did not appreciate it.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to head in his second of the night, but the rest was counterproductive. It's not like complaining was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the importance of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, not included in the team last month, has faced close inspection upon his return to the squad recently. Practically he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours with his response to his substitution as England completed a ideal group stage by overcoming a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

This implies it's unclear on if the squad perform optimally including Bellingham. The performance was not definitive. Tuchel tried new things from the manager in the beginning. Under him, England have gained the team organization and direction over the past few matches, using a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. The young defender was handed his international debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup at this level and the role of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to City's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze after the break but often looked overly eager to shine. Several hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash with a rival player early on. England were ragged for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. His booking came after an opponent took the ball to Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who seemed more naturally fitted to the spot occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner kick for Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that set pieces will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of the winger's delivery for the second goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, everyone was watching him. Tuchel came over behind him and directed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the away supporters. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon Bellingham yet. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to give him the central position is still uncertain.