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For Bellingham to wants to earn his place into England’s strongest squad, he would be wise to cut out the dramatics. His reaction when he saw that his number was going up after a match of inconsistency in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the squad members who come in," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you must accept them when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for an outburst. The captain had just put the national team 2-0 up in a meaningless match, the game had six minutes to go and he, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for a foul on an opponent. It was not a questionable change. Indeed it would have been unwise for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that it was possible Bellingham would be suspended of the initial fixture of the tournament by receiving a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention to Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. No one could overlook the player's disappointment when he clocked that he would be substituted for another player. He threw his arms up and although he exchanged a handshake while heading to the sideline it was obvious that Tuchel was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to nod home the team's second, but everything else was counterproductive. There was no chance arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has repeatedly emphasized following squad protocols and the necessity of acting professionally.

Facing Examination

He, not included in the team last month, is being watched carefully after returning to the squad recently. In effect his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to being taken off as England completed a ideal group stage by seeing off a spirited effort from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

This implies the jury is out on if the squad operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. The performance was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things from the manager early on. He has given the squad organization and direction over the past few matches, using a No 6, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, the midfielder was in the starting lineup for England and the use of Stones as a makeshift midfielder gave a similar look to City's team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for his teammate during the second half but at times seemed too desperate to impress. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player early on. England were ragged for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania followed he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card was shown after he lost the ball from Broja and brought down Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the position in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Saka. In time Saka delivered a corner kick for the captain to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will be crucial next summer.

Connection Remains

However, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the player change. When the match concluded, everyone was watching him. Tuchel walked up to his side and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the away supporters. The bond between them is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on Bellingham yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to give him centre stage is still uncertain.