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For Bellingham to hopes to earn his place back into England’s top squad, the smart move to cut out the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that the substitute board was about to come up after a match of inconsistency in Tirana was not good enough.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the teammates who substitute on," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you must accept them when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a tantrum. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the national team two goals ahead in an inconsequential fixture, with only six minutes remaining and he, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for fouling Armando Broja. It was not a questionable change. In fact it would have been foolish for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch because there was a chance the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the tournament by picking up a another booking.

Shifting Focus to Himself

However, the player made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s annoyance upon understanding that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and although he exchanged a handshake while heading to the touchline it was obvious that Tuchel was displeased.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to nod home his second of the night, but the rest was self-defeating. There was no chance protesting was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the importance of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, left out of the team last month, has faced close inspection since coming back to the team recently. Practically his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to his substitution as the side completed a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

As a result it's unclear on if the team perform optimally including Bellingham. The evidence here was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested by the coach early on. He has provided the squad a clear system in recent months, building with a holding player, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different against Albania. The young defender was handed his international debut, the midfielder made his first start internationally and the use of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder gave a passing resemblance to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for his teammate in the latter period but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent early on. England were ragged after halftime. An opportunity for Albania followed he lost the ball cheaply. His booking occurred when an opponent took the ball to Broja and brought down the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who appeared more naturally fitted to the spot in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka provided a corner for the captain to break the deadlock. It highlighted that corners and free-kicks will play a key role next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

However, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for the second goal was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the player change. After the final whistle, everyone was watching Bellingham. The coach approached from behind and guided Bellingham to acknowledge the English fans. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard Bellingham yet. But if the coach is prepared to grant him a starring role remains in doubt.