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For Bellingham to wants to fight his way once again into England’s best team, he would be wise to do away with the nonsense. The way he reacted after noticing that his number was being shown after a match of inconsistency in Tirana was not good enough.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the players who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it being a professional."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for an outburst. The captain had just put England leading by two in a meaningless match, the game had six minutes to go and he, after a below-par performance, received a caution for bringing down the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. In fact it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on considering there was a risk Bellingham would rule himself out of the first match of the tournament by picking up a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the player's annoyance when he clocked that his replacement was ready for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the bench there was no doubt that the head coach was displeased.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded his teammate for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to nod home his second of the night, but everything else was self-defeating. It's not like arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the importance of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, not included in last month’s squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the team this month. Practically he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to his substitution as the national team rounded off a flawless qualification run by seeing off a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

As a result it's unclear on whether England function at their best with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was not definitive. There was experimentation from Tuchel early on. Under him, England have gained England structure and clarity over the past few matches, employing a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, Adam Wharton started for the first time internationally and the role of Stones as a makeshift midfielder gave a similar look to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for Eze after the break but at times seemed too desperate to impress. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player early on. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after he lost the ball by Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who looked more comfortable to the spot that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka whipped in a corner kick for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that set pieces will be crucial next summer.

Connection Remains

However, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked due to the fuss of the player change. At the end, everyone was watching the midfielder. Tuchel walked up to his side and guided the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the away supporters. The bond between them is not broken. The coach isn't ready to discard the player just yet. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to grant him the central position remains in doubt.