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For Bellingham to aims to earn his place back into England’s strongest starting eleven, it would be smart to eliminate the dramatics. His response after noticing that he was about to come up following a night of mixed performance in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to overstate it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the teammates who substitute on," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you need to comply being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for an outburst. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the national team leading by two in a dead rubber qualifier, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for bringing down the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. Indeed it would have been unwise for the head coach to leave Bellingham on given that there was a chance he would rule himself out of the opening game of the competition by receiving a second caution.

Shifting Focus on Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the player's disappointment upon understanding that he was going to make way for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and while he exchanged a handshake on his way to the sideline it was obvious that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to score the team's second, but the rest was counterproductive. There was no chance protesting was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the importance of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

He, left out of the team last month, has been under scrutiny after returning to the fold this month. In effect he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the side rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a spirited effort from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

This implies opinions are divided on whether England perform optimally when Bellingham plays. The performance was open to interpretation. There was experimentation from Tuchel at the start. He has given England structure and clarity lately, using a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, the midfielder started for the first time internationally and the role of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder created a similar look to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared trying too hard. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. England were ragged after halftime. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. His booking came after he lost the ball by Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel introduced Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the spot that Bellingham had played during the first half, and Saka. Later Saka provided a set-piece for the captain to score the first goal. It was a reminder that set pieces will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Bridge Still Stands

However, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was somewhat overlooked due to the fuss of the player change. When the match concluded, all eyes were on him. Tuchel walked up from behind and pushed the player to acknowledge the English fans. Their relationship is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on him at this stage. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to offer him a starring role is not guaranteed.