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Should Bellingham aims to fight his way once again into England’s strongest starting eleven, it would be smart to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted after noticing that the substitute board was being shown after an evening of mixed performance in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to overstate it but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the players who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you must accept them being a professional."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. The captain had recently scored to make England two goals ahead in a dead rubber match, the game had six minutes to go and he, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for fouling the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. In fact it would have been unwise for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch because it was possible the midfielder would rule himself out of the first match of the competition by getting a second caution.

Shifting Focus 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 Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and although he exchanged a handshake while heading to the touchline it was clear that the manager did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to score his second goal, but the rest was self-defeating. There was no chance complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the importance of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

He, left out of last month’s squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the team recently. Essentially his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to coming off the pitch as the national team wrapped up a flawless qualification run by overcoming a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

This implies it's unclear on how the team operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. What we saw was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested from the manager at the start. He has provided the squad organization and direction over the past few matches, using a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and specialist wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the use of John Stones as a part-time midfielder created a similar look to City's team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze after the break but often looked too desperate to impress. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player early on. England's play was messy after halftime. One Albania chance came after he lost the ball cheaply. His caution came after he lost the ball to Broja and brought down Broja.

Substitutes Decide

Finally England’s depth was decisive. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who looked better suited to the role occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka provided a set-piece for Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel walked up behind him and directed Bellingham towards the away supporters. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on Bellingham yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to offer him the central position is not guaranteed.