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For Bellingham to aims to fight his way once again into the English best squad, it would be smart to cut out the dramatics. The way he reacted upon realizing that his number was being shown following a night of inconsistency in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to overstate it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the teammates who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you need to comply as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for an outburst. Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions 2-0 up in a dead rubber match, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for a foul on an opponent. This was hardly a controversial substitution. Actually it would have been unwise for the manager to not substitute him because there was a risk he would be suspended of the initial fixture of the tournament by receiving a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the player's frustration when he clocked that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and although he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the bench it was clear that the head coach was not impressed.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He praised his teammate for sending in the ball for Kane to head in his second goal, but his other actions was self-defeating. It is not as if protesting was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the importance of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, omitted from last month’s squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the squad this month. In effect his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to his substitution as England rounded off a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

This implies the jury is out on how the team function at their best including Bellingham. The evidence here was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested from the manager early on. He has given the team a clear system lately, employing a holding player, a No 8, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different against Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder was in the starting lineup for England and the positioning of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder created a passing resemblance to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze after the break 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 in the early stages. England's play was messy during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania came after he lost the ball cheaply. His caution occurred when he lost the ball from Broja and brought down the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who looked better suited to the position in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Saka. Eventually Saka provided a corner kick for the captain to open the scoring. It was a reminder that set pieces will play a key role at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, everyone was watching him. Tuchel walked up from behind and directed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the away supporters. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to abandon Bellingham yet. However, whether he is willing to give him centre stage is still uncertain.