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For Bellingham to aims to fight his way once again into the English top squad, he would be wise to eliminate the nonsense. His response after noticing that the substitute board was going up following a night of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the players who come in," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them as a player."

The midfielder must understand. There was no need for a tantrum. Kane had recently scored to make the national team two goals ahead in an inconsequential qualifier, there were six minutes left and he, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for a foul on an opponent. It was not a questionable change. Indeed it might have been reckless for the head coach to not substitute him given that there was a chance the midfielder would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the competition by getting a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the young midfielder's disappointment when he clocked that he would be substituted for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and although he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the sideline it was obvious that the head coach was displeased.

This is the challenge facing Bellingham. He congratulated Rashford for delivering the cross for the captain to score the team's second, but everything else was self-defeating. It is not as if complaining was going to alter the decision. The German has talked so much about honoring the team structure and the necessity of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

He, left out of last month’s squad, has faced close inspection after returning to the fold this month. In effect he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the national team wrapped up a ideal group stage by seeing off a feisty challenge from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

This implies opinions are divided on if the squad function at their best including Bellingham. What we saw was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things by the coach at the start. Under him, England have gained England structure and clarity in recent months, building with a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed against Albania. The young defender was made his England debut, the midfielder was in the starting lineup internationally and the role of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was similar look to City's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze after the break but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. He made many hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash with a rival player at the beginning. England were ragged during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania came after he lost the ball cheaply. His caution occurred when he lost the ball from Broja and brought down the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the position occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka whipped in a set-piece for Kane to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role next summer.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of the winger's delivery for the second goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. At the end, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel walked up from behind and guided the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the away supporters. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to discard the player just yet. But if the coach is prepared to give him a starring role remains in doubt.