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For Bellingham to wants to force his way back into the English best starting eleven, the smart move to do away with the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that he was about to come up after a match of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not make more out of it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the teammates who come in," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you need to comply being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a tantrum. Harry Kane had just put England 2-0 up in a meaningless fixture, there were six minutes left and he, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for a foul on Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. In fact it would have been foolish for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that there was a risk the midfielder would be suspended of the initial fixture of the tournament by getting a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus to Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the player's frustration as he realized that his replacement was ready for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and although he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the bench it was clear that Tuchel was not impressed.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Kane to nod home his second of the night, but the rest was harmful to his cause. There was no chance protesting was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the value of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, not included in the team last month, is being watched carefully after returning to the squad in the current camp. In effect his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours with his response to being taken off as the side rounded off a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

As a result the jury is out on how the team function at their best when Bellingham plays. What we saw was inconclusive. There was experimentation from the manager early on. Under him, England have gained the squad structure and clarity over the past few matches, employing a holding player, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. The young defender was made his England debut, Wharton started for the first time at this level and the use of John Stones as a part-time midfielder meant there was faint echo to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for Eze during the second half but often looked too desperate to impress. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player early on. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania came after he lost the ball cheaply. His booking was shown after he was dispossessed to Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the bench quality proved crucial. The coach brought on Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the position in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka provided a corner kick for the captain to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was a little lost amid the drama of the player change. At the end, everyone was watching the midfielder. Tuchel came over from behind and directed Bellingham in the direction of the away supporters. Their relationship remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon Bellingham yet. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to give him centre stage is still uncertain.