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Should Bellingham aims to force his way once again into the English best squad, it would be smart to do away with the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted after noticing that his number was being shown after an evening of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the players who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you must accept them being a professional."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. Harry Kane had just put the Three Lions leading by two in an inconsequential fixture, the game had six minutes to go and the player, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for bringing down Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. In fact it would have been unwise for the manager to leave Bellingham on given that there was a risk he would rule himself out of the first match of the competition by picking up a second caution.

Drawing Attention to Himself

But 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. He threw his arms up and while he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the sideline it was clear that the head coach was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to nod home his second of the night, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. There was no chance protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the importance of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

He, left out of last month’s squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the squad recently. Essentially he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case with his response to his substitution as England completed a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a spirited effort from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

This implies it's unclear on whether England function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was open to interpretation. There was experimentation by the coach early on. He has given the team organization and direction in recent months, employing a holding player, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel against Albania. Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton made his first start at this level and the positioning of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder gave a faint echo to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but at times seemed overly eager to shine. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash against an opponent early on. England were ragged for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after he was dispossessed by Broja and brought down the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end the squad's strength proved crucial. The coach brought on Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the role that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka delivered a corner for the captain to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Bridge Still Stands

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was a little lost amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. At the end, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel came over to his side and directed Bellingham in the direction of the away supporters. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to give up on the player just yet. Yet whether he is willing to offer him the central position is not guaranteed.