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Should Bellingham wants to force his way once again into England’s top squad, the smart move to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His response when he saw that he was going up after an evening of inconsistency in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who enter the game," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no need for a tantrum. Kane had recently scored to make the national team two goals ahead in a dead rubber fixture, with only six minutes remaining and the player, after a below-par performance, received a caution for bringing down the Albanian striker. This was hardly a debatable decision. Indeed it might have been reckless for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch because there was a chance he would be suspended of the opening game of the competition by getting a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention to Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the player's frustration as he realized that he would be substituted for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and while he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the bench there was no doubt that Tuchel was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to score the team's second, but everything else was counterproductive. It's not like arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The coach has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of acting professionally.

Facing Examination

Bellingham, left out of the team last month, has been under scrutiny after returning to the squad recently. In effect he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to his substitution as England wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a spirited effort from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

This implies opinions are divided on how the team perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel early on. Under him, England have gained the squad structure and clarity in recent months, employing a No 6, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, the midfielder started for the first time for England and the role of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for Eze after the break but often looked too desperate to impress. Several rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash 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 caution came after he was dispossessed by Broja and fouled the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the bench quality proved crucial. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the spot in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka whipped in a corner kick for Harry Kane to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was a little lost due to the fuss of the substitution incident. At the end, all eyes were on him. Tuchel walked up behind him and pushed Bellingham towards the away supporters. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to abandon Bellingham yet. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to grant him centre stage is not guaranteed.