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Should Bellingham aims to fight his way once again into England’s strongest squad, he would be wise to do away with the dramatics. His response after noticing that his number was being shown after a match of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the players who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it as a player."

The midfielder must understand. There was no need for a strop. Harry Kane had just put the national team 2-0 up in a meaningless match, there were six minutes left and the player, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for a foul on the Albanian striker. It was not a controversial substitution. Actually it would have been foolish for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering there was a risk he would be suspended of the opening game of the World Cup by receiving a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the player's annoyance upon understanding that he was going to make way for another player. He flung his arms in the air and even though he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the touchline it was obvious that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to nod home his second goal, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. There was no chance protesting was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has talked so much about honoring the team structure and the importance of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

He, not included in the previous squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the team this month. Practically he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to being taken off as the national team completed a ideal group stage by seeing off a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

As a result the jury is out on if the team operate most effectively including Bellingham. The evidence here was not definitive. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. He has provided the squad a clear system over the past few matches, building with a defensive midfielder, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but it felt different in this match. The young defender was handed his international debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the use of the defender as a makeshift midfielder created a faint echo to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for Eze in the latter period but at times seemed trying too hard. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England were ragged for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card occurred when he lost the ball from Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

In the end the squad's strength made the difference. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who seemed better suited to the spot that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka whipped in a set-piece for Kane to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, all eyes were on him. The coach approached behind him and guided the player towards the English fans. Their relationship is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on the player just yet. Yet whether he is willing to offer him centre stage remains in doubt.