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For Bellingham to aims to fight his way once again into the English top team, it would be smart to eliminate the dramatics. The way he reacted after noticing that he was going up following a night of mixed performance in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I’d rather not make more out of it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the squad members who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you must accept them as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it the national team 2-0 up in a dead rubber qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and he, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for a foul on the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. Indeed it would have been unwise for Tuchel to not substitute him given that there was a risk the midfielder would be suspended of the first match of the World Cup by picking up a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's annoyance when he clocked that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and although he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the touchline it was clear that the manager was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He praised Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to head in his second of the night, but everything else was counterproductive. It is not as if arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the value of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

He, omitted from last month’s squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the squad in the current camp. Practically he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to coming off the pitch as the side wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a feisty challenge from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

It means it's unclear on if the squad perform optimally when Bellingham plays. What we saw was open to interpretation. There was experimentation by the coach in the beginning. He has given the team a clear system over the past few matches, using a holding player, a No 8, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, the midfielder was in the starting lineup for England and the use of John Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a faint echo to Manchester City’s 2023 treble winners.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for his teammate after the break but often looked too desperate to impress. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player at the beginning. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking came after an opponent took the ball by Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end England’s depth was decisive. The coach brought on Foden, who appeared more comfortable to the role occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Saka. Later Saka provided a corner kick for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford's cross for the second goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the player change. After the final whistle, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel came over to his side and directed Bellingham to acknowledge the travelling England fans. The bond between them is not broken. The coach isn't ready to abandon him at this stage. But if Tuchel is inclined to grant him centre stage is still uncertain.