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Should Bellingham aims to force his way into England’s strongest team, he would be wise to eliminate the nonsense. The way he reacted after noticing that his number was about to come up after an evening of mixed performance in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the squad members who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a strop. The captain had only moments earlier made it England leading by two in a dead rubber fixture, the game had six minutes to go and the player, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for fouling an opponent. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Actually it might have been reckless for Tuchel to not substitute him because there was a chance Bellingham would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the tournament by getting a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention to Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s annoyance when he clocked that his replacement was ready for a teammate. He threw his arms up and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the sideline there was no doubt that the manager was displeased.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He congratulated Rashford for delivering the cross for Kane to score his second goal, but everything else was self-defeating. There was no chance complaining was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has talked so much about following squad protocols and the value of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, omitted from the previous squad, has been under scrutiny upon his return to the squad recently. In effect his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him with his response to being taken off as the national team completed a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a tough opposition from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

This implies the jury is out on how the team function at their best including Bellingham. What we saw was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel early on. He has given England organization and direction in recent months, building with a holding player, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. Quansah was given his first cap, Wharton started for the first time for England and the use of Stones as a part-time midfielder created a faint echo to City's 2023 treble winners.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for his teammate in the latter period but frequently appeared trying too hard. Several poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. England's play was messy after halftime. One Albania chance came after Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution came after he was dispossessed by Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength proved crucial. The coach brought on Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the role in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka whipped in a set-piece for Kane to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations will be crucial next summer.

Connection Remains

However, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was a little lost amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. At the end, all eyes were on the midfielder. Tuchel came over from behind and directed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the travelling England fans. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon Bellingham yet. However, whether the coach is prepared to grant him the central position is not guaranteed.