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Should Bellingham hopes to force his way back into the English strongest squad, it would be smart to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that he was about to come up after a match of uneven play in Tirana was not good enough.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you must accept them as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Harry Kane had just put the Three Lions 2-0 up in a dead rubber match, there were six minutes left and he, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for fouling Armando Broja. This was hardly a debatable decision. In fact it would have been foolish for the head coach to not substitute him given that there was a risk he would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the tournament by getting a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. No one could overlook the player's annoyance as he realized that he was going to make way for another player. He flung his arms in the air and even though he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the touchline it was obvious that the head coach was displeased.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated his teammate for sending in the ball for the captain to score his second goal, but everything else was counterproductive. It's not like arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has talked so much about following squad protocols and the importance of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, left out of the team last month, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the squad this month. Essentially he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to being taken off as England completed a flawless qualification run by defeating a tough opposition from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

It means opinions are divided on how the team function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. There was experimentation from Tuchel early on. Under him, England have gained the squad structure and clarity over the past few matches, employing a No 6, a No 8, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but it felt different against Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, Wharton made his first start internationally and the positioning of the defender as a part-time midfielder gave a faint echo to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for his teammate in the latter period but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. He made many hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England's play was messy during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking occurred when he lost the ball by Broja and committed a foul on Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the bench quality was decisive. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who appeared more comfortable to the position that Bellingham had played during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka whipped in a corner for Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel came over from behind and guided the player to acknowledge the travelling England fans. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to discard Bellingham yet. But if he is willing to offer him centre stage is not guaranteed.