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For Bellingham to hopes to earn his place into England’s best starting eleven, he would be wise to do away with the unnecessary reactions. His reaction after noticing that his number was being shown after an evening of inconsistency in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the squad members who come in," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a tantrum. Kane had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions 2-0 up in an inconsequential fixture, there were six minutes left and the player, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for fouling an opponent. This was hardly a controversial substitution. Indeed it might have been reckless for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that it was possible he would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the tournament by picking up a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention to Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's disappointment upon understanding that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and although he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the touchline there was no doubt that the head coach was not impressed.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for sending in the ball for the captain to score his second goal, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. There was no chance complaining was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the value of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

He, left out of the team last month, is being watched carefully after returning to the fold recently. Essentially he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case with his response to coming off the pitch as England rounded off a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

This implies it's unclear on how England perform optimally when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was not definitive. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. He has given the squad structure and clarity over the past few matches, building with a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel in this match. Quansah was handed his international debut, the midfielder made his first start internationally and the use of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder created a passing resemblance to City's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze after the break but at times seemed trying too hard. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent at the beginning. England's play was messy after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents came after Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card occurred when he lost the ball from Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Ultimately England’s depth made the difference. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who appeared more comfortable to the spot occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka provided a corner kick for Harry Kane to score the first goal. It highlighted that dead-ball situations are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel came over from behind and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the away supporters. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to abandon him at this stage. However, whether the coach is prepared to offer him centre stage remains in doubt.