The England midfielder Must Eliminate the Petulance to Secure a Star Place In Tuchel.

If Jude Bellingham aims to fight his way back into the English top starting eleven, he would be wise to do away with the nonsense. His response upon realizing that the substitute board was going up after a match of inconsistency in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the players who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you need to comply as a player."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a strop. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions two goals ahead in a meaningless qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and he, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for a foul on the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Actually it might have been reckless for the manager to not substitute him given that it was possible he would be suspended of the opening game of the competition by getting a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention to Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the young midfielder's disappointment as he realized that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and although he exchanged a handshake on his way to the touchline it was clear that Tuchel was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He congratulated Rashford for providing the assist for the captain to nod home the team's second, but everything else was self-defeating. It is not as if arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has talked so much about honoring the team structure and the importance of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

He, not included in the team last month, has faced close inspection upon his return to the fold 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 England completed a flawless qualification run by defeating a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

As a result opinions are divided on whether the squad perform optimally including Bellingham. The performance was open to interpretation. There was experimentation from the manager early on. He has given the team a clear system in recent months, using a No 6, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different in this match. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton made his first start internationally and the positioning of John Stones as a part-time midfielder meant there was faint echo to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for Eze during the second half but often looked overly eager to shine. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player at the beginning. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. One Albania chance came after Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card came after he was dispossessed to Broja and brought down Broja.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who appeared more naturally fitted to the role that Bellingham had played during the first half, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka delivered a corner for Harry Kane to score the first goal. It was a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the player change. After the final whistle, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel walked up from behind and pushed the player towards the English fans. The bond between them remains intact. The coach isn't ready to abandon Bellingham yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to offer him centre stage is still uncertain.