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Should Bellingham hopes to earn his place back into the English strongest squad, it would be smart to eliminate the dramatics. The way he reacted upon realizing that his number was about to come up after a match of uneven play in Tirana was not good enough.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the players who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. The captain had recently scored to make England two goals ahead in a meaningless match, there were six minutes left and the player, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for fouling an opponent. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. Actually it might have been reckless for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch because there was a chance he would be suspended of the first match of the competition by getting a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s annoyance when he clocked that he was going to make way for another player. He threw his arms up and although he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the bench it was obvious that the manager did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded his teammate for providing the assist for the captain to score his second goal, but the rest was harmful to his cause. There was no chance complaining was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the necessity of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, omitted from last month’s squad, is being watched carefully since coming back to the team recently. Essentially he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to being taken off as the national team rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a spirited effort from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

It means opinions are divided on if the team function at their best including Bellingham. The performance was not definitive. There was experimentation from the manager at the start. Under him, England have gained England a clear system in recent months, employing a holding player, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel in this match. The young defender was given his first cap, Adam Wharton made his first start at this level and the use of Stones as a part-time midfielder created a faint echo to City's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for Eze after the break but often looked trying too hard. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. England were ragged during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card was shown after he was dispossessed to Broja and brought down the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

In the end England’s depth was decisive. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who looked more naturally fitted to the spot in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Saka. Later Saka provided a corner for Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks will play a key role next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was a little lost due to the fuss of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel came over behind him and guided the player in the direction of the English fans. The bond between them is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon the player just yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to offer him a starring role is not guaranteed.