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Should Bellingham hopes to force his way into England’s best squad, it would be smart to eliminate the dramatics. His response after noticing that his number was about to come up after a match of inconsistency in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the teammates who substitute on," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no need for an outburst. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions 2-0 up in an inconsequential match, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for a foul on an opponent. It was not a controversial substitution. In fact it might have been reckless for the head coach to not substitute him given that there was a chance the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the first match of the tournament by getting a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. No one could overlook the player's disappointment when he clocked that he would be substituted for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and although he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the sideline it was clear that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He applauded his teammate for delivering the cross for Kane to head in the team's second, but the rest was self-defeating. It is not as if arguing was going to alter the decision. The coach has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of showing proper conduct.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, omitted from the team last month, is being watched carefully since coming back to the squad this month. Practically he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him with his response to coming off the pitch as England wrapped up a flawless qualification run by overcoming a feisty challenge from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

This implies the jury is out on if the squad function at their best when Bellingham plays. What we saw was not definitive. Tuchel tried new things from the manager at the start. Under him, England have gained England a clear system over the past few matches, building with a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel against Albania. Quansah was handed his international debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup for England and the use of John Stones as a part-time midfielder meant there was faint echo to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Inconsistent Display

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for his teammate after the break but at times seemed too desperate to impress. He made many hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player at the beginning. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania came after he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card came after an opponent took the ball to Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the bench quality made the difference. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who looked more comfortable to the position occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and Saka. Later Saka delivered a corner kick for Kane to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations are going to be vital next summer.

Connection Remains

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel came over to his side and guided the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the English fans. Their connection is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to discard Bellingham yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to grant him centre stage remains in doubt.