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If Jude Bellingham hopes to earn his place back into the English top squad, the smart move to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted when he saw that the substitute board was being shown following a night of mixed performance in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the teammates who come in," 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 a strop. Kane had recently scored to make the national team two goals ahead in a dead rubber fixture, with only six minutes remaining and the player, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for bringing down the Albanian striker. It was not a controversial substitution. Indeed it might have been reckless for Tuchel to leave Bellingham on given that there was a chance he would make himself ineligible of the first match of the tournament by receiving a second caution.

Drawing Attention to Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. No one could overlook the young midfielder's frustration as he realized that his replacement was ready for another player. He threw his arms up and while he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the touchline there was no doubt that the head coach did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He congratulated Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to score the team's second, but everything else was self-defeating. There was no chance protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the importance of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, not included in the team last month, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the fold recently. In effect his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to being taken off as the national team rounded off a ideal group stage by defeating a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

As a result opinions are divided on how the team operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. The performance was not definitive. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. Under him, England have gained England structure and clarity in recent months, using a No 6, a central midfielder, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but the approach changed against Albania. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, Wharton made his first start for England and the positioning of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was similar look to City's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze during the second half but often looked trying too hard. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder early on. England were ragged for much of the second half. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. His caution was shown after he lost the ball by Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel introduced Foden, who seemed more naturally fitted to the spot occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka provided a corner for Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for the second goal was a little lost amid the drama of the player change. When the match concluded, everyone was watching him. Tuchel came over from behind and pushed Bellingham towards the English fans. Their connection remains intact. The coach isn't ready to discard the player just yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to offer him centre stage is still uncertain.