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For Bellingham to aims to fight his way into England’s best team, the smart move to cut out the dramatics. His reaction upon realizing that the substitute board was being shown after an evening 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 respect towards the teammates who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a tantrum. Harry Kane had just put England two goals ahead in a meaningless fixture, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, received a caution for fouling the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. In fact it would have been unwise for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that it was possible the midfielder would be suspended of the initial fixture of the competition by getting a another booking.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s frustration when he clocked that he would be substituted for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the sideline it was clear that the head coach was not impressed.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He praised Rashford for providing the assist for Kane to head in his second of the night, but his other actions was counterproductive. It is not as if arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has talked so much about following squad protocols and the importance of showing proper conduct.

In the Spotlight

He, omitted from the previous squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the team in the current camp. Essentially his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to being taken off as the side completed a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

This implies it's unclear on how the team perform optimally when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things from the manager at the start. Under him, England have gained the squad organization and direction lately, using a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but there was a different feel in this match. Quansah was given his first cap, the midfielder was in the starting lineup for England and the role of John Stones as a part-time midfielder gave a similar look to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player early on. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card occurred when he was dispossessed from Broja and fouled the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Finally the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who seemed more comfortable to the spot occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and Saka. Later Saka delivered a corner for the captain to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations are going to be vital next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford's cross for the second goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the player change. When the match concluded, all eyes were on him. The coach approached from behind and pushed the player to acknowledge the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on him at this stage. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to offer him centre stage is not guaranteed.