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Should Bellingham hopes to force his way into England’s strongest squad, it would be smart to eliminate the nonsense. His response when he saw that the substitute board was being shown after a match of inconsistency in Tirana was not good enough.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I stick to my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the squad members who come in," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you need to comply as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for a strop. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the national team two goals ahead in an inconsequential match, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for a foul on an opponent. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. In fact it would have been unwise for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch because there was a chance the midfielder would rule himself out of the first match of the competition by getting a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s annoyance as he realized that he would be substituted for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and although he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the bench it was obvious that Tuchel was displeased.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to head in his second goal, but everything else was self-defeating. There was no chance protesting was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has talked so much about following squad protocols and the value of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, omitted from last month’s squad, has faced close inspection after returning to the team in the current camp. Practically his place has been in question and he hasn't helped his case through his behavior to being taken off as England wrapped up a flawless qualification run by overcoming a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

This implies opinions are divided on how the team function at their best including Bellingham. What we saw was not definitive. There was experimentation by the coach early on. Under him, England have gained the team organization and direction lately, employing a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed against Albania. The young defender was made his England debut, the midfielder started for the first time at this level and the positioning of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was similar look to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for his teammate during the second half but often looked too desperate to impress. Several poorly executed passes. A pointless clash against an opponent at the beginning. England were ragged after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after he lost the ball from Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who appeared more naturally fitted to the role that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and Saka. Later Saka whipped in a corner for the captain to open the scoring. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks will play a key role at the World Cup.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, everyone was watching the midfielder. Tuchel came over behind him and guided the player in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not broken. The coach isn't ready to discard the player just yet. Yet whether the coach is prepared to give him a starring role remains in doubt.