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Should Bellingham wants to fight his way into the English best starting eleven, the smart move to do away with the nonsense. His reaction after noticing that he was about to come up following a night of uneven play in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect for the teammates who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for an outburst. The captain had just put England leading by two in a dead rubber qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and he, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for fouling the Albanian striker. It was not a debatable decision. In fact it would have been unwise for the head coach to not substitute him because there was a risk he would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the tournament by receiving a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus on Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s annoyance when he clocked that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and while he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the sideline it was clear that Tuchel was displeased.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Kane to nod home his second goal, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. There was no chance arguing was going to alter the decision. The coach has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the importance of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, left out of the previous squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the fold recently. In effect he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to his substitution as England rounded off a flawless qualification run by seeing off a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

It means opinions are divided on if the team function at their best when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things by the coach at the start. He has given the team organization and direction in recent months, building with a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but it felt different versus Albania. Quansah was given his first cap, Wharton made his first start internationally and the role of the defender as a part-time midfielder created a similar look to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for his teammate during the second half but often looked overly eager to shine. Several hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent at the beginning. England were ragged after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution occurred when an opponent took the ball by Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the squad's strength made the difference. Tuchel introduced Foden, who looked more comfortable to the position occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka whipped in a corner for the captain to break the deadlock. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the player change. When the match concluded, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel walked up behind him and pushed the player in the direction of the English fans. The bond between them is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on the player just yet. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to give him centre stage remains in doubt.