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For Bellingham to hopes to force his way back into England’s strongest starting eleven, it would be smart to cut out the dramatics. His reaction after noticing that the substitute board was being shown after a match of inconsistency in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the players who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a strop. Kane had just put England leading by two in a dead rubber qualifier, there were six minutes left and he, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for fouling an opponent. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Indeed it might have been reckless for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering there was a risk Bellingham would rule himself out of the first match of the competition by getting a another booking.

Shifting Focus on Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the player's frustration upon understanding that he was going to make way for another player. He flung his arms in the air and while he exchanged a handshake on his way to the bench it was clear that the head coach was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to score the team's second, but everything else was self-defeating. There was no chance arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The coach has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the value of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, not included in the previous squad, is being watched carefully after returning to the fold in the current camp. In effect he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the side wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a spirited effort from Albania.

The System and the Setup

As a result it's unclear on if England operate most effectively including Bellingham. The evidence here was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things from the manager in the beginning. Under him, England have gained the squad structure and clarity in recent months, using a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed against Albania. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, the midfielder started for the first time for England and the use of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder created a passing resemblance to City's team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for his teammate during the second half but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent in the early stages. England's play was messy during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card was shown after an opponent took the ball by Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Ultimately England’s depth was decisive. Tuchel introduced Foden, who looked better suited to the spot that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and Saka. In time Saka delivered a set-piece for Harry Kane to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will play a key role at the World Cup.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the player change. After the final whistle, everyone was watching the midfielder. The coach approached to his side and directed the player towards the English fans. The bond between them is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to abandon Bellingham yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to offer him a starring role remains in doubt.