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Should Bellingham aims to earn his place back into England’s best team, he would be wise to do away with the dramatics. His reaction upon realizing that his number was being shown after a match of mixed performance in Tirana was not good enough.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who enter the game," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it being a professional."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no need for an outburst. Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions 2-0 up in a dead rubber match, the game had six minutes to go and the player, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for a foul on Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Actually it might have been reckless for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering there was a risk the midfielder would rule himself out of the first match of the tournament by receiving a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s annoyance as he realized that his replacement was ready for another player. He threw his arms up and while he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the touchline there was no doubt that the head coach was displeased.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for the captain to head in his second goal, but the rest was self-defeating. It is not as if complaining was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the importance of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, left out of the previous squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the squad recently. In effect he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to being taken off as England wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

This implies it's unclear on whether the team function at their best with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was not definitive. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel in the beginning. Under him, England have gained the squad a clear system lately, building with a holding player, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, Adam Wharton started for the first time internationally and the use of Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was similar look to Manchester City’s 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze during the second half but at times seemed overly eager to shine. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England were ragged during most of the second period. One Albania chance came after Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution came after an opponent took the ball by Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Finally England’s depth proved crucial. The coach brought on Foden, who looked better suited to the position that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka provided a corner for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations will be crucial at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was a little lost due to the fuss of the player change. At the end, everyone was watching the midfielder. The coach approached from behind and guided the player in the direction of the away supporters. Their relationship remains intact. The coach isn't ready to discard him at this stage. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to give him a starring role remains in doubt.