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Should Bellingham hopes to fight his way into the English top squad, it would be smart to do away with the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted upon realizing that the substitute board was being shown following a night of mixed performance in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the players who come in," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a strop. Kane had only moments earlier made it the national team 2-0 up in an inconsequential match, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for bringing down an opponent. It was not a controversial substitution. Actually it would have been unwise for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering it was possible he would make himself ineligible of the first match of the World Cup by receiving a second caution.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the player's annoyance as he realized that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and although he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the sideline there was no doubt that the manager did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He applauded Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Kane to head in the team's second, but his other actions was counterproductive. It is not as if arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The coach has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the importance of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, not included in the team last month, has faced close inspection upon his return to the team in the current camp. Essentially he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours with his response to coming off the pitch as England completed a flawless qualification run by seeing off a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

This implies opinions are divided on how England function at their best when Bellingham plays. What we saw was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested by the coach at the start. He has provided England a clear system lately, building with a No 6, a No 8, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, the midfielder started for the first time internationally and the use of John Stones as a part-time midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to Manchester City’s 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but often looked overly eager to shine. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player at the beginning. England's play was messy for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card occurred when he was dispossessed to Broja and committed a foul on Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the bench quality proved crucial. Tuchel introduced Foden, who appeared more comfortable to the position occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka delivered a corner for the captain to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, the focus was on Bellingham. The coach approached from behind and directed Bellingham in the direction of the away supporters. Their connection is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to give up on him at this stage. However, whether the coach is prepared to give him a starring role is not guaranteed.