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For Bellingham to aims to earn his place into England’s top starting eleven, he would be wise to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His reaction after noticing that his number was going up following a night of uneven play in Tirana was not good enough.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you must accept them as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a strop. Harry Kane had just put the national team leading by two in a dead rubber fixture, with only six minutes remaining and the player, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for fouling an opponent. This was hardly a questionable change. In fact it would have been foolish for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that there was a risk he would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the competition by getting a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention to Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the young midfielder's frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and although he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the touchline it was obvious that the manager was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for sending in the ball for Kane to nod home the team's second, but everything else was harmful to his cause. It's not like arguing was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the value of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

Bellingham, left out of last month’s squad, is being watched carefully after returning to the team recently. Practically his place has been in question and he hasn't helped his case with his response to his substitution as England completed a flawless qualification run by defeating a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

It means the jury is out on whether England function at their best including Bellingham. What we saw was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things by the coach at the start. He has provided the squad organization and direction over the past few matches, using a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but the approach changed in this match. Quansah was made his England debut, Wharton made his first start for England and the positioning of Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was similar look to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eze in the latter period but often looked overly eager to shine. Several poorly executed passes. A pointless clash with a rival player in the early stages. England were ragged during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. His booking came after he was dispossessed by Broja and brought down Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who looked more comfortable to the spot occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka provided a corner for Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks will be crucial next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

However, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the player change. When the match concluded, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel came over to his side and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the English fans. The bond between them is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon Bellingham yet. But if he is willing to offer him centre stage is still uncertain.