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Should Bellingham aims to earn his place into the English top squad, he would be wise to cut out the nonsense. The way he reacted when he saw that his number was being shown following a night of uneven play in Tirana was not good enough.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the teammates who enter the game," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you must accept them being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for an outburst. Harry Kane had recently scored to make England leading by two in a meaningless qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and he, after a below-par performance, received a caution for bringing down an opponent. This was hardly a questionable change. In fact it would have been foolish for Tuchel to not substitute him given that there was a chance he would rule himself out of the first match of the competition by receiving a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus to Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s disappointment upon understanding that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the bench there was no doubt that the head coach did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for the captain to head in his second goal, but everything else was harmful to his cause. It is not as if complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the value of acting professionally.

Facing Examination

Bellingham, omitted from the previous squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the squad recently. In effect his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to his substitution as England wrapped up a flawless qualification run by defeating a tough opposition from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

It means the jury is out on whether the team operate most effectively including Bellingham. The evidence here was inconclusive. There was experimentation from the manager at the start. He has provided the squad organization and direction lately, using a holding player, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder made his first start for England and the role of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder created a passing resemblance to City's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for his teammate after the break but often looked overly eager to shine. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder early on. England's play was messy for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card occurred when an opponent took the ball by Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the squad's strength was decisive. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who looked better suited to the position that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka delivered a corner for Harry Kane to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will play a key role next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, the focus was on him. Tuchel came over from behind and directed Bellingham in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their relationship remains intact. The coach isn't ready to abandon him at this stage. However, whether he is willing to grant him centre stage is still uncertain.