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Should Bellingham hopes to earn his place into England’s best team, the smart move to do away with the unnecessary reactions. His response after noticing that the substitute board was being shown after an evening of inconsistency in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stick to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the squad members who come in," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. The captain had recently scored to make England two goals ahead in a meaningless qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and he, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for bringing down the Albanian striker. It was not a controversial substitution. Indeed it would have been unwise for the manager to not substitute him given that it was possible Bellingham would be suspended of the opening game of the competition by getting a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus to Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the player's disappointment when he clocked that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and while he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the touchline it was obvious that Tuchel was displeased.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to nod home his second of the night, but everything else was harmful to his cause. There was no chance arguing was going to alter the decision. The coach has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the necessity of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, omitted from the team last month, has been under scrutiny after returning to the fold this month. In effect he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the national team rounded off a flawless qualification run by seeing off a spirited effort from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

This implies the jury is out on whether the team perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The performance was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things from the manager early on. He has given England a clear system lately, building with a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but it felt different against Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder made his first start for England and the use of the defender as a makeshift midfielder gave a passing resemblance to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze during the second half but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder early on. England were ragged after halftime. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card occurred when an opponent took the ball from Broja and committed a foul on Broja.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who appeared more comfortable to the position in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner for Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, all eyes were on the midfielder. The coach approached from behind and guided Bellingham in the direction of the English fans. Their relationship is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to give up on Bellingham yet. However, whether he is willing to grant him centre stage is still uncertain.