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Should Bellingham aims to fight his way back into the English strongest squad, the smart move to do away with the unnecessary reactions. His response after noticing that he was going up following a night of mixed performance in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the squad members who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you must accept them when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for an outburst. Kane had recently scored to make England two goals ahead in a meaningless qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and he, after a below-par performance, received a caution for a foul on Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Actually it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on considering it was possible the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the tournament by getting a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention to Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the young midfielder's annoyance as he realized that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and even though he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the touchline there was no doubt that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to nod home his second goal, but the rest was harmful to his cause. It is not as if complaining was going to reverse the substitution. The German has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, left out of the team last month, is being watched carefully after returning to the fold recently. Essentially he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him with his response to coming off the pitch as the national team rounded off a ideal group stage by defeating a spirited effort from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

As a result the jury is out on how the squad perform optimally when Bellingham plays. What we saw was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach at the start. He has given the squad structure and clarity over the past few matches, building with a holding player, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder started for the first time at this level and the role of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder gave a passing resemblance to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for Eze during the second half but often looked too desperate to impress. Several hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash against an opponent early on. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution was shown after he was dispossessed to Broja and brought down the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the position that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka provided a set-piece for the captain to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations are going to be vital next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was a little lost due to the fuss of the player change. When the match concluded, all eyes were on him. The coach approached behind him and guided the Real Madrid midfielder towards the travelling England fans. The bond between them remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to give up on the player just yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to grant him centre stage is not guaranteed.