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For Bellingham to aims to earn his place back into England’s strongest team, the smart move to do away with the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that his number was going up after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the players who substitute on," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for a strop. The captain had just put the national team two goals ahead in an inconsequential qualifier, there were six minutes left and he, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for bringing down an opponent. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. Indeed it would have been foolish for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering it was possible the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the competition by getting a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's annoyance upon understanding that his replacement was ready for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and although he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the sideline there was no doubt that Tuchel was not impressed.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to nod home the team's second, but everything else was harmful to his cause. It's not like complaining was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized following squad protocols and the value of showing proper conduct.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, not included in last month’s squad, is being watched carefully since coming back to the squad this month. Essentially he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours with his response to being taken off as the national team completed a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

This implies it's unclear on how the squad function at their best including Bellingham. What we saw was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested by the coach early on. He has given England organization and direction in recent months, employing a No 6, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed versus Albania. Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the positioning of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder gave a similar look to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for his teammate during the second half but often looked too desperate to impress. He made many hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent early on. England were ragged during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card was shown after he was dispossessed to Broja and brought down Broja.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the bench quality made the difference. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who appeared better suited to the spot occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka delivered a set-piece for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked due to the fuss of the player change. When the match concluded, the focus was on him. Tuchel walked up behind him and guided the player in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their connection remains intact. The coach isn't ready to abandon the player just yet. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to grant him the central position is not guaranteed.