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For Bellingham to wants to earn his place once again into England’s best team, he would be wise to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted when he saw that his number was going up after an evening of mixed performance in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the players who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you must accept them as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for a strop. Kane had only moments earlier made it England 2-0 up in an inconsequential match, there were six minutes left and he, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for bringing down Armando Broja. This was hardly a debatable decision. Indeed it would have been unwise for the head coach to not substitute him considering it was possible Bellingham would be suspended of the initial fixture of the competition by picking up a another booking.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s annoyance upon understanding that his replacement was ready for another player. He flung his arms in the air and while he exchanged a handshake on his way to the sideline there was no doubt that the manager was displeased.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He praised his teammate for delivering the cross for the captain to nod home the team's second, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. It is not as if complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, left out of the previous squad, is being watched carefully upon his return to the fold in the current camp. Practically he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to being taken off as England rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a feisty challenge from Albania.

The System and the Setup

It means the jury is out on whether the team operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was not definitive. There was experimentation from the manager in the beginning. He has provided England organization and direction over the past few matches, building with a holding player, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but it felt different against Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, Wharton started for the first time for England and the positioning of the defender as a makeshift midfielder gave a passing resemblance to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for Eze during the second half but at times seemed overly eager to shine. He made many poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. England were ragged for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania came after he lost the ball cheaply. His booking occurred when he lost the ball from Broja and brought down Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the bench quality made the difference. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who appeared better suited to the position in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Saka. In time Saka provided a corner kick for Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the player change. When the match concluded, everyone was watching the midfielder. Tuchel walked up to his side and directed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the English fans. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on him at this stage. However, whether the coach is prepared to give him centre stage is not guaranteed.