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For Bellingham to wants to earn his place into England’s strongest starting eleven, he would be wise to cut out the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that he was being shown after an evening of inconsistency in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to overstate it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the squad members who come in," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for an outburst. The captain had only moments earlier made it the national team 2-0 up in an inconsequential match, there were six minutes left and he, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for fouling an opponent. It was not a debatable decision. Actually it would have been unwise for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that it was possible he would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the competition by getting a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the player's frustration upon understanding that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and although he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the touchline it was obvious that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for delivering the cross for Kane to nod home his second of the night, but the rest was harmful to his cause. It's not like complaining was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has talked so much about following squad protocols and the necessity of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, omitted from last month’s squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the team in the current camp. Practically he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to being taken off as the side completed a flawless qualification run by seeing off a spirited effort from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

As a result the jury is out on how the team function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The performance was not definitive. There was experimentation from Tuchel early on. Under him, England have gained England structure and clarity lately, using a holding player, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, the midfielder started for the first time at this level and the role of Stones as a makeshift midfielder gave a passing resemblance to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for his teammate in the latter period but at times seemed trying too hard. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. A pointless clash with a rival player early on. England's play was messy during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card occurred when an opponent took the ball from Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Ultimately the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the spot that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and Saka. Later Saka provided a corner for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that set pieces will play a key role next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, the focus was on Bellingham. Tuchel walked up to his side and directed the player in the direction of the English fans. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to discard the player just yet. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to offer him the central position is not guaranteed.