Bellingham Needs to Eliminate the Petulance to Secure a Star Place With Manager Thomas Tuchel.

If Jude Bellingham hopes to force his way into England’s best team, he would be wise to do away with the nonsense. His response after noticing that he was about to come up after an evening of inconsistency in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the teammates who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it being a professional."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for an outburst. The captain had only moments earlier made it the national team 2-0 up in a meaningless match, with only six minutes remaining and he, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for a foul on Armando Broja. This was hardly a controversial substitution. In fact it would have been unwise for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that it was possible he would rule himself out of the first match of the competition by picking up a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s annoyance when he clocked that he was going to make way for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and although he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the bench it was clear that the manager did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to head in the team's second, but the rest was self-defeating. It is not as if arguing was going to alter the decision. The coach has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the value of showing proper conduct.

In the Spotlight

He, left out of the previous squad, has been under scrutiny upon his return to the team in the current camp. Practically he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case with his response to coming off the pitch as England wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a feisty challenge from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

It means the jury is out on if the team perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel early on. Under him, England have gained the squad structure and clarity over the past few matches, building with a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but it felt different versus Albania. Quansah was handed his international debut, Wharton started for the first time at this level and the role of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder gave a similar look to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash with a rival player at the beginning. England were ragged for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham squandered possession. His booking occurred when an opponent took the ball from Broja and fouled Broja.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who appeared better suited to the spot in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka delivered a corner for the captain to break the deadlock. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will play a key role at the World Cup.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the player change. When the match concluded, all eyes were on him. Tuchel walked up to his side and guided Bellingham in the direction of the away supporters. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on him at this stage. Yet whether the coach is prepared to offer him the central position remains in doubt.