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For Bellingham to hopes to fight his way back into England’s best team, the smart move to eliminate the nonsense. His response upon realizing that he was about to come up after a match of inconsistency in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who enter the game," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it as a player."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Kane had just put the national team 2-0 up in a dead rubber fixture, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for a foul on Armando Broja. It was not a questionable change. Indeed it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on because there was a risk he would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the competition by receiving a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's frustration when he clocked that his replacement was ready for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and although he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the sideline it was clear that the head coach was not impressed.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for sending in the ball for the captain to nod home his second goal, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. There was no chance protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has talked so much about following squad protocols and the value of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

He, omitted from the previous squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the squad in the current camp. Essentially he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case with his response to his substitution as England completed a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a tough opposition from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

As a result the jury is out on whether the team operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. The performance was not definitive. There was experimentation from the manager at the start. Under him, England have gained England organization and direction lately, employing a defensive midfielder, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder started for the first time internationally and the use of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared trying too hard. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent early on. England were ragged after halftime. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution occurred when an opponent took the ball from Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the squad's strength made the difference. Tuchel threw on Foden, who seemed more naturally fitted to the role in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Saka. In time Saka provided a set-piece for the captain to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, all eyes were on him. Tuchel walked up from behind and guided the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the away supporters. Their relationship is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to discard him at this stage. But if Tuchel is inclined to grant him a starring role remains in doubt.