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For Bellingham to aims to fight his way back into England’s strongest squad, the smart move to cut out the dramatics. His response after noticing that he was being shown following a night of uneven play in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to overstate it but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the teammates who come in," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you need to comply when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a strop. Kane had only moments earlier made it England two goals ahead in a dead rubber match, there were six minutes left and he, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for bringing down the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Actually it would have been unwise for the head coach to leave Bellingham on given that it was possible Bellingham would be suspended of the opening game of the competition by picking up a another booking.

Shifting Focus to Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's frustration as he realized that he would be substituted for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and while he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the touchline there was no doubt that the head coach was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to head in his second of the night, but the rest was self-defeating. It is not as if protesting was going to reverse the substitution. The German has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, omitted from the previous squad, has been under scrutiny upon his return to the team in the current camp. Practically he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to being taken off as the side rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a spirited effort from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

This implies opinions are divided on whether the team perform optimally including Bellingham. The performance was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel early on. He has given England a clear system in recent months, building with a No 6, a No 8, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton made his first start internationally and the role of the defender as a part-time midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze after the break but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England's play was messy during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. His booking came after he was dispossessed from Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel introduced Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the spot occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka provided a corner for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will be crucial next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of the winger's delivery for the second goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, everyone was watching him. Tuchel walked up to his side and guided Bellingham in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on the player just yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to grant him the central position is still uncertain.