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If Jude Bellingham hopes to earn his place once again into England’s strongest squad, he would be wise to do away with the dramatics. His reaction when he saw that his number was going up after an evening of uneven play in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the squad members who come in," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it as a player."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for an outburst. Kane had recently scored to make England two goals ahead in an inconsequential qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for fouling the Albanian striker. It was not a controversial substitution. Indeed it would have been foolish for the head coach to not substitute him given that there was a risk Bellingham would be suspended of the first match of the tournament by picking up a second caution.

Shifting Focus on Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the player's frustration when he clocked that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and although he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the sideline there was no doubt that the manager was displeased.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to score the team's second, but his other actions was counterproductive. It is not as if complaining was going to alter the decision. The coach has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the value of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

He, not included in the previous squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the fold this month. Practically his place has been in question and he hasn't helped his case through his behavior to being taken off as the national team completed a ideal group stage by seeing off a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

As a result opinions are divided on if the team operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. What we saw was inconclusive. There was experimentation from the manager in the beginning. He has provided the team a clear system lately, using a holding player, a central midfielder, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but it felt different versus Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, Adam Wharton started for the first time for England and the positioning of Stones as a makeshift midfielder created a faint echo to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for his teammate after the break but often looked trying too hard. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash against an opponent at the beginning. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. One Albania chance resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. His caution was shown after he was dispossessed by Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who appeared better suited to the role in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Saka. Eventually Saka delivered a corner kick for the captain to break the deadlock. It highlighted that dead-ball situations are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

However, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was a little lost amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel walked up from behind and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the travelling England fans. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on him at this stage. Yet whether the coach is prepared to offer him centre stage is still uncertain.