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Should Bellingham wants to fight his way back into the English top team, the smart move to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His reaction after noticing that he was about to come up following a night of inconsistency in Tirana was not good enough.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect for the players who come in," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for an outburst. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the national team 2-0 up in an inconsequential fixture, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for bringing down Armando Broja. This was hardly a debatable decision. Indeed it might have been reckless for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch because it was possible the midfielder would be suspended of the opening game of the World Cup by picking up a another booking.

Drawing Attention to Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's disappointment when he clocked that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and although he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the sideline there was no doubt that the manager did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He congratulated 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 complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the importance of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, not included in the previous squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the fold in the current camp. Essentially he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to his substitution as the national team completed a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a tough opposition from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

As a result opinions are divided on if England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel early on. He has given England structure and clarity in recent months, employing a holding player, a central midfielder, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but it felt different against Albania. The young defender was handed his international debut, Wharton started for the first time at this level and the positioning of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to City's historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but at times seemed overly eager to shine. He made many poorly executed passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. One Albania chance followed Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card occurred when he was dispossessed to Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel introduced Foden, who seemed better suited to the spot in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka delivered a set-piece for Kane to score the first goal. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the player change. At the end, the focus was on Bellingham. Tuchel came over from behind and pushed the player in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon Bellingham yet. Yet whether he is willing to offer him centre stage is still uncertain.