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Should Bellingham wants to force his way into England’s strongest squad, it would be smart to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that he was being shown after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who come in," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a strop. The captain had recently scored to make the Three Lions leading by two in a meaningless fixture, with only six minutes remaining and the player, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for fouling an opponent. It was not a questionable change. Indeed it would have been foolish for the head coach to leave Bellingham on considering there was a chance the midfielder would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the World Cup by receiving a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's frustration when he clocked that he would be substituted for another player. His arms went up in exasperation 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.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He praised his teammate for providing the assist for Harry Kane to nod home the team's second, but his other actions was counterproductive. There was no chance complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has repeatedly emphasized following squad protocols and the value of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, not included in the previous squad, is being watched carefully upon his return to the fold in the current camp. Practically he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to his substitution as the national team rounded off a ideal group stage by seeing off a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

This implies the jury is out on whether England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel early on. He has given England organization and direction in recent months, building with a No 6, a No 8, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed against Albania. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, the midfielder made his first start for England and the use of the defender as a makeshift midfielder created a similar look to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for Eze in the latter period but often looked trying too hard. He made many hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player at the beginning. England's play was messy after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents came after he lost the ball cheaply. His booking occurred when an opponent took the ball by Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

Ultimately England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who seemed better suited to the role occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka delivered a corner for Harry Kane to score the first goal. 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 assist for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked due to the fuss of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, everyone was watching the midfielder. The coach approached from behind and pushed the player to acknowledge the English fans. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to abandon the player just yet. Yet whether he is willing to give him a starring role is still uncertain.