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Should Bellingham aims to earn his place once again into England’s strongest starting eleven, he would be wise to do away with the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that his number was about to come up following a night of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I’d rather not make more out of it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the teammates who come in," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it as a player."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a strop. The captain had just put England 2-0 up in an inconsequential qualifier, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for a foul on Armando Broja. It was not a controversial substitution. In fact it might have been reckless for the head coach to leave Bellingham on given that there was a risk the midfielder would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the World Cup by receiving a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s annoyance when he clocked that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and while he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the sideline it was clear that Tuchel was displeased.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded Rashford for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to nod home his second goal, but everything else was self-defeating. It is not as if complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the value of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, not included in last month’s squad, is being watched carefully after returning to the squad in the current camp. Practically he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case through his behavior to coming off the pitch as England wrapped up a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

This implies it's unclear on if England perform optimally including Bellingham. The evidence here was open to interpretation. There was experimentation from the manager at the start. He has provided the team a clear system over the past few matches, employing a holding player, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but it felt different versus Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder started for the first time at this level and the role of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was similar look to City's team that won three trophies.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for his teammate during the second half but often looked overly eager to shine. Several rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder early on. England's play was messy during most of the second period. One Albania chance came after he lost the ball cheaply. His booking came after he lost the ball to Broja and fouled the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the bench quality was decisive. The coach brought on Foden, who seemed more naturally fitted to the position occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka delivered a corner kick for Kane to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that set pieces will be crucial next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, the focus was on the midfielder. The coach approached from behind and guided Bellingham to acknowledge the English fans. The bond between them remains intact. The coach isn't ready to abandon the player just yet. Yet whether he is willing to grant him the central position is still uncertain.