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Should Bellingham hopes to earn his place into England’s top team, the smart move to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His reaction after noticing that his number was being shown after an evening of uneven play in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the teammates who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you must accept them as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for an outburst. Kane had recently scored to make England 2-0 up in a meaningless fixture, the game had six minutes to go and the player, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for fouling an opponent. This was hardly a questionable change. Actually it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on given that there was a risk the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the competition by receiving a another booking.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s disappointment when he clocked that he would be substituted for another player. He threw his arms up and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the touchline there was no doubt that the manager did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge facing Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for sending in the ball for the captain to score the team's second, but the rest was counterproductive. It is not as if complaining was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the value of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

He, not included in the previous squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the team this month. In effect he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him with his response to being taken off as the side rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a tough opposition from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

It means opinions are divided on how the team operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was open to interpretation. There was experimentation from Tuchel early on. He has given the team structure and clarity lately, using a No 6, a No 8, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed against Albania. Quansah was handed his international debut, the midfielder started for the first time at this level and the positioning of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder gave a passing resemblance to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared trying too hard. Several hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder early on. England's play was messy for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card was shown after an opponent took the ball to Broja and brought down the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

In the end the bench quality was decisive. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who appeared more naturally fitted to the spot that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka provided a set-piece for the captain to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, everyone was watching Bellingham. The coach approached to his side and directed Bellingham towards the away supporters. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to discard the player just yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to offer him centre stage remains in doubt.