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If Jude Bellingham wants to earn his place once again into England’s best team, it would be smart to eliminate the dramatics. His reaction after noticing that he was going up after an evening of uneven play in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the players who come in," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it being a professional."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for an outburst. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions 2-0 up in an inconsequential match, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for a foul on the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. Indeed it would have been foolish for Tuchel to not substitute him considering it was possible he would rule himself out of the opening game of the competition by getting a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the player's annoyance upon understanding that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and while he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the touchline it was clear that the manager was not impressed.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He praised Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to nod home his second of the night, but the rest was self-defeating. It's not like arguing was going to alter the decision. The coach has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the value of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, not included in the team last month, has been under scrutiny upon his return to the team in the current camp. In effect he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to being taken off as the side wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a tough opposition from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

As a result the jury is out on whether England function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was inconclusive. There was experimentation from the manager at the start. He has given the team a clear system over the past few matches, using a holding player, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and specialist wingers, but the approach changed against Albania. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, the midfielder made his first start for England and the use of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder gave a passing resemblance to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for Eze in the latter period but often looked overly eager to shine. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player in the early stages. England's play was messy during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card occurred when he lost the ball to Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally England’s depth was decisive. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the role that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka delivered a corner kick for Harry Kane to score the first goal. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was a little lost amid the drama of the player change. After the final whistle, the focus was on him. Tuchel came over from behind and guided the Real Madrid midfielder towards the travelling England fans. The bond between them remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to give up on the player just yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to offer him a starring role remains in doubt.