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For Bellingham to wants to force his way once again into England’s best squad, he would be wise to eliminate the dramatics. His response when he saw that he was being shown following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to overstate it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the players who come in," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a strop. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions two goals ahead in a meaningless match, the game had six minutes to go and he, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for bringing down the Albanian striker. This was hardly a controversial substitution. Indeed it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on considering there was a chance he would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the competition by getting a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

However, the player made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s annoyance when he clocked that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he exchanged a handshake while heading to the bench there was no doubt that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for providing the assist for Kane to nod home his second goal, but everything else was harmful to his cause. There was no chance arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the importance of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

He, omitted from the team last month, is being watched carefully after returning to the team recently. Essentially his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to his substitution as the national team rounded off a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

This implies it's unclear on whether England function at their best including Bellingham. What we saw was open to interpretation. There was experimentation from Tuchel at the start. He has given England structure and clarity lately, building with a defensive midfielder, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, the midfielder made his first start at this level and the role of Stones as a makeshift midfielder created a faint echo to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for his teammate in the latter period but at times seemed overly eager to shine. He made many poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player in the early stages. England were ragged for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. His caution came after an opponent took the ball by Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

Ultimately the squad's strength made the difference. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who appeared better suited to the spot occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Saka. Eventually Saka delivered a corner for Harry Kane to score the first goal. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will play a key role at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the player change. When the match concluded, the focus was on the midfielder. The coach approached behind him and guided Bellingham to acknowledge the away supporters. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to discard the player just yet. But if the coach is prepared to grant him the central position remains in doubt.