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If Jude Bellingham wants to fight his way once again into England’s top starting eleven, it would be smart to eliminate the dramatics. The way he reacted upon realizing that he was about to come up after an evening of mixed performance in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the squad members who come in," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for an outburst. Harry Kane had recently scored to make England 2-0 up in a meaningless match, the game had six minutes to go and he, after a below-par performance, received a caution for a foul on the Albanian striker. It was not a questionable change. Actually it might have been reckless for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that it was possible Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the tournament by picking up a second caution.

Shifting Focus on Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the player's disappointment upon understanding that he would be substituted for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and although he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the touchline there was no doubt that the head coach was displeased.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to head in his second goal, but everything else was harmful to his cause. It is not as if protesting was going to alter the decision. The coach has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the necessity of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, left out of the previous squad, is being watched carefully upon his return to the fold recently. Practically his place has been in question and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to coming off the pitch as the national team completed a flawless qualification run by seeing off a tough opposition from Albania.

The System and the Setup

It means it's unclear on whether the team function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The performance was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things from the manager at the start. He has given the squad a clear system over the past few matches, employing a No 6, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed in this match. Quansah was given his first cap, Wharton made his first start for England and the use of John Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a similar look to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but at times seemed trying too hard. Several rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder early on. England were ragged for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking came after he lost the ball to Broja and brought down Broja.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the squad's strength proved crucial. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who appeared more naturally fitted to the role in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka delivered a corner kick for Harry Kane to score the first goal. It highlighted that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of the winger's delivery for the second goal was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the player change. When the match concluded, everyone was watching him. The coach approached from behind and directed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the away supporters. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to abandon Bellingham yet. But if the coach is prepared to offer him a starring role remains in doubt.