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For Bellingham to aims to force his way into England’s top team, the smart move to cut out the nonsense. The way he reacted when he saw that the substitute board was about to come up following a night of inconsistency in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I’d rather not make more out of it but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the teammates who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you need to comply as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a strop. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the national team 2-0 up in a dead rubber match, the game had six minutes to go and he, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for fouling Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Indeed it would have been unwise for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch because it was possible he would make himself ineligible of the first match of the World Cup by picking up a second caution.

Shifting Focus to Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's disappointment as he realized that he was going to make way for another player. He threw his arms up and while he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the bench there was no doubt that the manager was displeased.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to nod home his second of the night, but the rest was self-defeating. It's not like complaining was going to alter the decision. The coach has repeatedly emphasized following squad protocols and the value of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, left out of last month’s squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the squad recently. Essentially he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to coming off the pitch as the side wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a spirited effort from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

It means it's unclear on if the squad perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach early on. He has provided the squad structure and clarity lately, building with a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel versus Albania. Quansah was handed his international debut, the midfielder started for the first time internationally and the positioning of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder created a passing resemblance to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for Eze during the second half but at times seemed trying too hard. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. England were ragged for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card was shown after he was dispossessed by Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who appeared more comfortable to the role in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka provided a set-piece for the captain to break the deadlock. It highlighted that set pieces are going to be vital next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford's cross for the second goal was a little lost due to the fuss of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, the focus was on him. Tuchel walked up behind him and pushed Bellingham to acknowledge the away supporters. Their connection is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to discard Bellingham yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to grant him the central position is still uncertain.