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For Bellingham to wants to earn his place into the English strongest starting eleven, he would be wise to eliminate the nonsense. His response when he saw that he was being shown after an evening of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the teammates who substitute on," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you need to comply when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for a strop. The captain had recently scored to make the Three Lions 2-0 up in an inconsequential fixture, there were six minutes left and he, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for bringing down the Albanian striker. It was not a debatable decision. Actually it would have been foolish for the manager to not substitute him given that there was a risk he would be suspended of the opening game of the competition by getting a another booking.

Drawing Attention to Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the player's frustration upon understanding that his replacement was ready for a teammate. He threw his arms up and even though he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the bench it was clear that the manager did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to head in the team's second, but everything else was self-defeating. It's not like arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The German has repeatedly emphasized following squad protocols and the necessity of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, left out of the team last month, has faced close inspection after returning to the team this month. Essentially he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to his substitution as the side completed a ideal group stage by seeing off a spirited effort from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

This implies it's unclear on how the team function at their best when Bellingham plays. The performance was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach at the start. He has given the squad organization and direction lately, building with a No 6, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed against Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder started for the first time at this level and the positioning of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder gave a faint echo to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for Eze during the second half but often looked trying too hard. He made many hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player early on. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card occurred when an opponent took the ball to Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

In the end the squad's strength made the difference. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who appeared more comfortable to the position occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

However, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel came over behind him and pushed Bellingham to acknowledge the travelling England fans. The bond between them remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard Bellingham yet. Yet whether the coach is prepared to grant him the central position remains in doubt.