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If Jude Bellingham aims to fight his way into the English strongest squad, he would be wise to do away with the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that his number was going up after an evening of uneven play in Tirana was not good enough.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the squad members who come in," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a tantrum. Kane had just put the national team two goals ahead in a meaningless match, the game had six minutes to go and the player, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for bringing down Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. In fact it might have been reckless for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch because it was possible the midfielder would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the World Cup by picking up a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and while he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the sideline it was clear that the head coach was not impressed.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He applauded his teammate for delivering the cross for Kane to score his second of the night, but everything else was harmful to his cause. It's not like protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has talked so much about following squad protocols and the value of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

He, omitted from last month’s squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the fold in the current camp. In effect he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours with his response to his substitution as the national team rounded off a ideal group stage by seeing off a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

As a result the jury is out on if England function at their best with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel in the beginning. He has provided the squad a clear system in recent months, building with a holding player, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed in this match. Quansah was made his England debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup at this level and the role of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder gave a passing resemblance to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for his teammate after the break but frequently appeared 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. England were ragged during most of the second period. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after he was dispossessed from Broja and fouled Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the bench quality proved crucial. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who appeared more comfortable to the spot occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka whipped in a set-piece for Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will be crucial at the World Cup.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The quality of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the Rogers substitution. At the end, all eyes were on him. Tuchel came over behind him and directed the player towards the away supporters. The bond between them remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to give up on Bellingham yet. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to offer him the central position is not guaranteed.