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For Bellingham to hopes to fight his way back into the English top team, he would be wise to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His response upon realizing that his number was going up following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the players who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them being a professional."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for a strop. Kane had recently scored to make the national team leading by two in a meaningless fixture, with only six minutes remaining and he, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for fouling Armando Broja. This was hardly a controversial substitution. In fact it would have been unwise for Tuchel to leave Bellingham on considering there was a chance the midfielder would be suspended of the initial fixture of the competition by picking up a second caution.

Drawing Attention to Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the young midfielder's disappointment upon understanding that his replacement was ready for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and although he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the touchline it was clear that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for providing the assist for Kane to head in the team's second, but the rest was harmful to his cause. It's not like protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the importance of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

He, omitted from the team last month, has faced close inspection since coming back to the squad recently. Practically he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case with his response to being taken off as England rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a feisty challenge from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

As a result the jury is out on if the team function at their best including Bellingham. The performance was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things by the coach in the beginning. Under him, England have gained the team organization and direction lately, employing a No 6, a central midfielder, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed against Albania. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup for England and the role of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was faint echo to City's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. England's play was messy after halftime. An opportunity for Albania resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. His booking occurred when he lost the ball by Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

In the end the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who looked more naturally fitted to the role occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Saka. Later Saka delivered a corner for the captain to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, all eyes were on him. Tuchel walked up to his side and guided the Real Madrid midfielder towards the travelling England fans. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard the player just yet. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to offer him the central position remains in doubt.