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Should Bellingham hopes to force his way back into England’s best starting eleven, he would be wise to eliminate the nonsense. His response after noticing that the substitute board was about to come up following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the players who come in," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you must accept them as a player."

The midfielder must understand. There was no need for a strop. Kane had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions 2-0 up in a meaningless qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for a foul on the Albanian striker. It was not a controversial substitution. In fact it might have been reckless for the head coach to leave Bellingham on given that there was a risk he would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the tournament by getting a second caution.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. No one could overlook the player's annoyance when he clocked that he was going to make way for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and although he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the touchline it was obvious that Tuchel was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for providing the assist for Kane to nod home the team's second, but the rest was counterproductive. It's not like 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

He, not included in last month’s squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the squad this month. Practically he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to coming off the pitch as England rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

As a result the jury is out on if the team operate most effectively with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested from the manager in the beginning. Under him, England have gained England a clear system in recent months, employing a holding player, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but it felt different versus Albania. Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton made his first start at this level and the positioning of John Stones as a part-time midfielder created a similar look to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for Eze after the break but frequently appeared trying too hard. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent at the beginning. England were ragged after halftime. One Albania chance followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution came after he lost the ball from Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end the bench quality made the difference. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who seemed better suited to the spot occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka provided a corner for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will be crucial at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the player change. After the final whistle, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel came over to his side and guided the player towards the away supporters. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard him at this stage. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to give him centre stage remains in doubt.