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For Bellingham to aims to force his way into the English strongest starting eleven, he would be wise to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that his number was being shown following a night of uneven play in Tirana was not good enough.

"I’d rather not make more out of it but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the teammates who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no need for a tantrum. The captain had only moments earlier made it the Three Lions two goals ahead in a dead rubber fixture, there were six minutes left and he, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for fouling Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Actually it might have been reckless for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that there was a risk Bellingham would be suspended of the first match of the tournament by receiving a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's frustration when he clocked that his replacement was ready for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and while he exchanged a handshake on his way to the bench there was no doubt that the manager was not impressed.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to head in his second goal, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. There was no chance arguing was going to reverse the substitution. The German has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, left out of the previous squad, is being watched carefully after returning to the fold in the current camp. Essentially his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him with his response to coming off the pitch as the side wrapped up a flawless qualification run by defeating a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

This implies the jury is out on if the squad perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach early on. He has given the team organization and direction lately, using a No 6, a central midfielder, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, the midfielder started for the first time internationally and the use of the defender as a part-time midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for his teammate after the break but at times seemed overly eager to shine. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder early on. England's play was messy after halftime. An opportunity for Albania resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after he was dispossessed from Broja and brought down the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

Ultimately the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel threw on Foden, who looked better suited to the role in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and Saka. Eventually Saka provided a set-piece for the captain to score the first goal. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will play a key role next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was somewhat overlooked due to the fuss of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel came over behind him and directed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to abandon Bellingham yet. But if the coach is prepared to offer him a starring role is still uncertain.