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Should Bellingham hopes to force his way into the English top team, the smart move to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that the substitute board was being shown after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the squad members who come in," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you must accept them when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a strop. Kane had recently scored to make the national team 2-0 up in an inconsequential match, with only six minutes remaining and he, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for fouling an opponent. This was hardly a debatable decision. Actually it would have been foolish for Tuchel to not substitute him because it was possible the midfielder would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the tournament by receiving a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's annoyance when he clocked that he would be substituted for another player. He flung his arms in the air and even though he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the bench it was obvious that Tuchel was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to score his second of the night, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. It is not as if protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has talked so much about following squad protocols and the value of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

He, left out of the team last month, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the team in the current camp. Practically he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case with his response to his substitution as the side rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

It means the jury is out on if the squad function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was open to interpretation. There was experimentation from the manager in the beginning. He has given the team structure and clarity lately, employing a holding player, a central midfielder, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different against Albania. The young defender was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton started for the first time at this level and the positioning of Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was faint echo to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for his teammate after the break but at times seemed overly eager to shine. Several poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent in the early stages. England were ragged during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking came after an opponent took the ball by Broja and brought down the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who looked more naturally fitted to the role that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka provided a corner kick for the captain to score the first goal. It highlighted that set pieces will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the player change. After the final whistle, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel came over to his side and guided Bellingham to acknowledge the English fans. Their relationship is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard Bellingham yet. However, whether he is willing to grant him centre stage is not guaranteed.