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For Bellingham to aims to fight his way once again into England’s best team, the smart move to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His reaction when he saw that he was about to come up after a match of inconsistency in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the squad members who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. The captain had only moments earlier made it the national team leading by two in a dead rubber fixture, with only six minutes remaining and the player, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for a foul on the Albanian striker. This was hardly a controversial substitution. Actually it might have been reckless for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering there was a risk the midfielder would rule himself out of the opening game of the tournament by receiving a second caution.

Shifting Focus on Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the player's disappointment upon understanding that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and although he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the bench it was obvious that the head coach did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He praised Rashford for providing the assist for the captain to nod home his second of the night, but the rest was counterproductive. It is not as if protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the value of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

He, not included in the previous squad, is being watched carefully since coming back to the squad recently. Essentially he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to being taken off as England rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

This implies it's unclear on if the squad function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The performance was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel in the beginning. He has given the team organization and direction in recent months, employing a No 6, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton made his first start internationally and the positioning of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze after the break but often looked trying too hard. Several rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent at the beginning. England were ragged during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card occurred when he lost the ball from Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end the bench quality proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Foden, who appeared more comfortable to the role that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka provided a corner for Harry Kane to score the first goal. It was a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the substitution incident. At the end, all eyes were on the midfielder. Tuchel came over behind him and directed the player in the direction of the English fans. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to abandon him at this stage. But if Tuchel is inclined to grant him the central position is not guaranteed.