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Should Bellingham hopes to earn his place once again into England’s best squad, he would be wise to cut out the dramatics. His reaction when he saw that the substitute board was going up after a match of uneven play in Tirana was not good enough.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the squad members who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the national team 2-0 up in a dead rubber qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and the player, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for a foul on the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Actually it would have been unwise for Tuchel to not substitute him given that there was a chance Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the tournament by picking up a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s frustration as he realized that he would be substituted for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and while he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the bench there was no doubt that Tuchel did not appreciate it.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for the captain to score the team's second, but the rest was harmful to his cause. There was no chance arguing was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the importance of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

He, left out of last month’s squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the squad in the current camp. In effect his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to being taken off as the national team completed a ideal group stage by defeating a feisty challenge from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

This implies opinions are divided on whether England function at their best including Bellingham. The performance was not definitive. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. Under him, England have gained the team organization and direction in recent months, employing a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but it felt different in this match. Quansah was made his England debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the use of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was similar look to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for Eze after the break but often looked overly eager to shine. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent at the beginning. England were ragged after halftime. An opportunity for Albania resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. His booking was shown after an opponent took the ball from Broja and fouled Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the bench quality made the difference. The coach brought on Foden, who looked more comfortable to the spot occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka provided a corner for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that set pieces will be crucial next summer.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for the second goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, the focus was on him. Tuchel walked up from behind and guided Bellingham in the direction of the English fans. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to abandon the player just yet. But if he is willing to give him centre stage remains in doubt.