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Should Bellingham wants to fight his way back into the English strongest team, it would be smart to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that the substitute board was about to come up after a match of inconsistency in Tirana was not good enough.

"I’d rather not make more out of it but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the players who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them being a professional."

The midfielder must understand. There was no need for a tantrum. Harry Kane had recently scored to make England leading by two in a meaningless qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and he, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for a foul on an opponent. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. Actually it might have been reckless for the manager to not substitute him given that there was a risk Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the competition by picking up a another booking.

Drawing Attention on Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s frustration upon understanding that he was going to make way for another player. He threw his arms up and although he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the bench it was obvious that the head coach was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to score his second of the night, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. It's not like complaining was going to reverse the substitution. The German has repeatedly emphasized following squad protocols and the necessity of acting professionally.

Facing Examination

He, omitted from last month’s squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the team in the current camp. Practically his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours with his response to his substitution as the side wrapped up a ideal group stage by defeating a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

It means it's unclear on how England function at their best including Bellingham. What we saw was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested from the manager in the beginning. He has provided the squad structure and clarity over the past few matches, using a holding player, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, the midfielder started for the first time internationally and the use of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder gave a similar look to City's team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for Eze in the latter period but at times seemed overly eager to shine. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent in the early stages. England were ragged for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution came after he lost the ball by Broja and brought down Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end England’s depth was decisive. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who looked more comfortable to the role occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and Saka. Eventually Saka provided a corner kick for Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for the second goal was a little lost amid the drama of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, all eyes were on him. Tuchel walked up to his side and guided the player to acknowledge the away supporters. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon the player just yet. But if he is willing to grant him centre stage is not guaranteed.