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For Bellingham to wants to force his way into England’s best team, the smart move to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His response upon realizing that he was being shown after an evening of inconsistency in Tirana was not good enough.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the squad members who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Kane had just put the national team leading by two in a meaningless match, the game had six minutes to go and he, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for bringing down the Albanian striker. This was hardly a debatable decision. Indeed it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on considering there was a risk he would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the competition by picking up a second caution.

Drawing Attention on Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's frustration when he clocked that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and even though he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the touchline there was no doubt that the manager was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He congratulated Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to head in his second goal, but his other actions was self-defeating. It's not like complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the necessity of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, omitted from the previous squad, has been under scrutiny upon his return to the team this month. In effect he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to being taken off as the side wrapped up a ideal group stage by overcoming a tough opposition from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

As a result it's unclear on how the squad operate most effectively including Bellingham. The evidence here was open to interpretation. There was experimentation by the coach early on. He has given England a clear system over the past few matches, building with a No 6, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, the midfielder made his first start at this level and the role of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder created a similar look to Manchester City’s 2023 treble winners.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for Eze during the second half but often looked trying too hard. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England's play was messy after halftime. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking occurred when an opponent took the ball to Broja and fouled the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the bench quality proved crucial. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who seemed more naturally fitted to the position that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka delivered a set-piece for the captain to break the deadlock. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will play a key role at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was a little lost amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, everyone was watching him. Tuchel came over behind him and directed Bellingham to acknowledge the travelling England fans. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to abandon Bellingham yet. Yet whether he is willing to grant him a starring role is not guaranteed.