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Should Bellingham wants to earn his place into England’s top starting eleven, he would be wise to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted after noticing that his number was going up after a match of uneven play in Tirana was not good enough.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the teammates who come in," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a tantrum. Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions leading by two in a dead rubber qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for bringing down Armando Broja. This was hardly a debatable decision. Actually it would have been unwise for the head coach to not substitute him considering there was a chance the midfielder would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the World Cup by receiving a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus to Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the player's annoyance upon understanding that he would be substituted for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he exchanged a handshake while heading to the touchline it was obvious that the head coach did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He praised Rashford for sending in the ball for the captain to score his second goal, but his other actions was counterproductive. It is not as if complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized following squad protocols and the value of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

He, left out of the previous squad, is being watched carefully after returning to the fold in the current camp. Essentially he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to coming off the pitch as England completed a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

As a result the jury is out on whether the squad operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. What we saw was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach at the start. He has provided the team structure and clarity lately, building with a No 6, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, Adam Wharton made his first start internationally and the positioning of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder gave a faint echo to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for Eze after the break but frequently appeared trying too hard. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England's play was messy for much of the second half. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution was shown after he lost the ball to Broja and committed a foul on Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who appeared more naturally fitted to the spot in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka provided a set-piece for the captain to score the first goal. It was a reminder that set pieces will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Bridge Still Stands

However, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for the second goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the player change. After the final whistle, everyone was watching the midfielder. Tuchel came over from behind and directed the player towards the English fans. Their relationship is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to abandon Bellingham yet. But if the coach is prepared to offer him the central position is still uncertain.