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Should Bellingham aims to force his way back into the English top team, he would be wise to eliminate the dramatics. His reaction upon realizing that the substitute board was being shown following a night of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to overstate it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the squad members who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for a tantrum. The captain had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions two goals ahead in an inconsequential qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for a foul on Armando Broja. This was hardly a controversial substitution. Indeed it would have been foolish for Tuchel to not substitute him because there was a risk Bellingham would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the World Cup by getting a another booking.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's annoyance upon understanding 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 there was no doubt that the manager was not impressed.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He praised his teammate for sending in the ball for the captain to score his second goal, but his other actions was self-defeating. There was no chance arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the value of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, not included in last month’s squad, has faced close inspection after returning to the fold recently. Essentially he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to coming off the pitch as the national team completed a flawless qualification run by defeating a feisty challenge from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

This implies it's unclear on whether the squad function at their best including Bellingham. What we saw was not definitive. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. Under him, England have gained the team structure and clarity over the past few matches, building with a holding player, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but the approach changed in this match. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup for England and the use of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was faint echo to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for his teammate after the break but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. Several rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash with a rival player at the beginning. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card came after an opponent took the ball to Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who seemed more naturally fitted to the spot in which Bellingham operated earlier in the match, and Saka. In time Saka delivered a corner for Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that dead-ball situations are going to be vital in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was a little lost amid the drama of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, the focus was on him. The coach approached behind him and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the away supporters. Their connection remains intact. The coach isn't ready to abandon the player just yet. But if the coach is prepared to offer him centre stage is not guaranteed.