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For Bellingham to wants to earn his place once again into England’s best squad, he would be wise to eliminate the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that the substitute board was going up after an evening of mixed performance in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the squad members who come in," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a strop. Kane had recently scored to make the national team 2-0 up in an inconsequential qualifier, there were six minutes left and the player, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for a foul on an opponent. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Indeed it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on because it was possible he would rule himself out of the opening game of the tournament by getting a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for a teammate. He threw his arms up and although he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the touchline there was no doubt that the manager was displeased.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to head in the team's second, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. There was no chance complaining was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has talked so much about following squad protocols and the necessity of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, left out of last month’s squad, has faced close inspection after returning to the team this month. In effect his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him with his response to being taken off as England completed a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a spirited effort from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

As a result the jury is out on if the team operate most effectively with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. There was experimentation from Tuchel early on. He has provided the team a clear system in recent months, building with a defensive midfielder, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but it felt different versus Albania. The young defender was made his England debut, the midfielder was in the starting lineup internationally and the role of John Stones as a part-time midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to City's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze after the break but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash with a rival player early on. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card occurred when he was dispossessed to Broja and brought down the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end the bench quality proved crucial. The coach brought on Foden, who appeared more naturally fitted to the position that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner kick for the captain to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that set pieces will be crucial at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the substitution incident. At the end, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel came over behind him and directed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to abandon the player just yet. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to grant him a starring role remains in doubt.