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For Bellingham to aims to earn his place into England’s best squad, he would be wise to cut out the nonsense. His response upon realizing that he was going up after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana was not good enough.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who substitute on," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for a strop. The captain had only moments earlier made it England leading by two in a meaningless match, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for fouling an opponent. It was not a debatable decision. In fact it might have been reckless for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch because there was a risk the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the first match of the tournament by getting a second caution.

Drawing Attention to Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the young midfielder's disappointment upon understanding that he would be substituted for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the bench it was obvious that Tuchel was not impressed.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to head in his second of the night, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. It's not like protesting was going to alter the decision. The coach has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of acting professionally.

Facing Examination

He, left out of the team last month, is being watched carefully upon his return to the fold this month. Essentially he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to being taken off as England completed a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a spirited effort from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

It means the jury is out on whether England function at their best when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was not definitive. There was experimentation by the coach early on. He has provided the squad organization and direction in recent months, employing a No 6, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel in this match. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder was in the starting lineup for England and the role of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was similar look to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for Eze after the break but often looked trying too hard. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card was shown after an opponent took the ball from Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel threw on Foden, who looked more comfortable to the position that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and Saka. In time Saka provided a corner for the captain to score the first goal. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations are going to be vital next summer.

Connection Remains

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, everyone was watching the midfielder. The coach approached to his side and guided the player in the direction of the away supporters. The bond between them remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to discard Bellingham yet. However, whether he is willing to offer him the central position remains in doubt.