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For Bellingham to hopes to fight his way into the English strongest starting eleven, it would be smart to do away with the nonsense. His response after noticing that he was going up following a night of inconsistency in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the squad members who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it being a professional."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions leading by two in an inconsequential qualifier, there were six minutes left and the player, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for bringing down the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. In fact it would have been unwise for Tuchel to leave Bellingham on given that there was a chance he would be suspended of the opening game of the competition by receiving a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's frustration when he clocked that he would be substituted for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the sideline it was obvious that Tuchel was displeased.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to nod home his second goal, but everything else was harmful to his cause. There was no chance protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the value of showing proper conduct.

In the Spotlight

He, left out of the team last month, has faced close inspection upon his return to the team recently. Practically he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to his substitution as the national team wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a spirited effort from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

It means opinions are divided on if England function at their best with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was not definitive. There was experimentation by the coach at the start. Under him, England have gained the team a clear system lately, building with a No 6, a central midfielder, a playmaker and specialist wingers, but the approach changed in this match. The young defender was made his England debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup at this level and the role of Stones as a makeshift midfielder created a faint echo to City's historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for Eze during the second half but at times seemed overly eager to shine. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash with a rival player at the beginning. England's play was messy during most of the second period. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card occurred when an opponent took the ball by Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the squad's strength proved crucial. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who seemed better suited to the spot in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka provided a corner kick for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford's cross for the second goal was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. At the end, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel walked up from behind and pushed the player to acknowledge the English fans. The bond between them is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to give up on him at this stage. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to offer him a starring role is still uncertain.