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Should Bellingham hopes to force his way back into England’s top starting eleven, it would be smart to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His response upon realizing that the substitute board was being shown after an evening of uneven play in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who substitute on," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for an outburst. Kane had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions two goals ahead in an inconsequential qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and the player, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for fouling the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. In fact it might have been reckless for Tuchel to not substitute him because there was a risk he would be suspended of the opening game of the tournament by getting a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention to Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's annoyance upon understanding that he would be substituted for a teammate. He threw his arms up and while he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the bench it was obvious that the manager was displeased.

This is the challenge facing Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to head in his second of the night, but his other actions was self-defeating. It is not as if complaining was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has talked so much about honoring the team structure and the value of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

Bellingham, not included in last month’s squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the squad this month. Essentially he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to coming off the pitch as England rounded off a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

This implies the jury is out on how England perform optimally when Bellingham plays. The performance was not definitive. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel early on. He has provided the team a clear system over the past few matches, employing a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, the midfielder made his first start internationally and the positioning of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was faint echo to City's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for Eze during the second half but often looked too desperate to impress. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder early on. England were ragged during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham squandered possession. His booking occurred when he was dispossessed to Broja and fouled the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

In the end the squad's strength was decisive. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who looked better suited to the role in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka delivered a corner kick for Kane to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will be crucial next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the player change. After the final whistle, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel came over from behind and directed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the away supporters. The bond between them is not broken. The coach isn't ready to discard Bellingham yet. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to offer him the central position is not guaranteed.