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Should Bellingham hopes to force his way into the English top squad, it would be smart to do away with the nonsense. His response after noticing that the substitute board was about to come up following a night of inconsistency in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the squad members who come in," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for an outburst. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it England two goals ahead in a dead rubber match, with only six minutes remaining and he, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for bringing down the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. In fact it would have been unwise for Tuchel to leave Bellingham on considering there was a chance he would rule himself out of the first match of the tournament by getting a second caution.

Drawing Attention on Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's disappointment upon understanding that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and while he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the touchline it was clear that the head coach was displeased.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded his teammate for sending in the ball for the captain to score his second goal, but everything else was harmful to his cause. There was no chance arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the necessity of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, not included in the team last month, has been under scrutiny after returning to the squad in the current camp. Practically his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours with his response to his substitution as England rounded off a flawless qualification run by seeing off a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

As a result the jury is out on how the squad perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was open to interpretation. There was experimentation from Tuchel early on. He has provided the team organization and direction over the past few matches, using a holding player, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel versus Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder started for the first time for England and the use of Stones as a part-time midfielder created a similar look to City's team that won three trophies.

Inconsistent Display

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze during the second half but at times seemed too desperate to impress. Several poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent in the early stages. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card came after he was dispossessed to Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the squad's strength was decisive. The coach brought on Foden, who seemed more naturally fitted to the position occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and Saka. Later Saka provided a set-piece for Kane to break the deadlock. It highlighted that corners and free-kicks will play a key role next summer.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the player change. When the match concluded, all eyes were on him. Tuchel walked up to his side and directed Bellingham to acknowledge the English fans. Their relationship remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to give up on him at this stage. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to give him centre stage is still uncertain.