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For Bellingham to hopes to earn his place into the English top squad, it would be smart to do away with the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that he was about to come up following a night of mixed performance in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the players who enter the game," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a strop. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions 2-0 up in a dead rubber fixture, the game had six minutes to go and he, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for fouling Armando Broja. This was hardly a debatable decision. Actually it would have been unwise for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that it was possible the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the competition by receiving a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the player's frustration as he realized that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and while he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the bench it was obvious that the manager was displeased.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to nod home his second of the night, but everything else was self-defeating. There was no chance arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The German has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the importance of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

He, not included in the team last month, is being watched carefully since coming back to the team this month. In effect his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to coming off the pitch as the side wrapped up a flawless qualification run by seeing off a spirited effort from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

It means the jury is out on how the squad function at their best including Bellingham. What we saw was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things from the manager early on. He has provided the squad structure and clarity over the past few matches, using a holding player, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but there was a different feel in this match. Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton made his first start for England and the use of Stones as a part-time midfielder meant there was similar look to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze during the second half but at times seemed too desperate to impress. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder early on. England were ragged during most of the second period. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after he lost the ball from Broja and fouled the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Finally the bench quality made the difference. Tuchel threw on Foden, who looked more comfortable to the role that Bellingham had played during the first half, and Saka. Eventually Saka delivered a corner for Harry Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for the second goal was somewhat overlooked due to the fuss of the player change. After the final whistle, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel came over behind him and directed the player in the direction of the English fans. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to discard the player just yet. Yet whether the coach is prepared to offer him the central position is still uncertain.