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Should Bellingham wants to earn his place once again into England’s best starting eleven, it would be smart to do away with the dramatics. His response upon realizing that his number was about to come up following a night of inconsistency in Tirana was not good enough.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the players who enter the game," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them as a player."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a strop. Kane had recently scored to make the national team 2-0 up in an inconsequential qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for bringing down an opponent. It was not a controversial substitution. Indeed it might have been reckless for the manager to not substitute him given that there was a risk the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the first match of the tournament by picking up a second caution.

Shifting Focus on Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for another player. He threw his arms up and even though he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the touchline it was obvious that the manager was not impressed.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated his teammate for sending in the ball for Kane to score his second goal, but everything else was harmful to his cause. It is not as if complaining was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

Bellingham, left out of last month’s squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the team in the current camp. In effect his place has been in question and he hasn't helped his case through his behavior to his substitution as the national team completed a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a spirited effort from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

This implies opinions are divided on if the team perform optimally when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel early on. Under him, England have gained England organization and direction over the past few matches, building with a holding player, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but there was a different feel against Albania. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, the midfielder was in the starting lineup at this level and the role of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder gave a similar look to City's 2023 treble winners.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze during the second half but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash against an opponent in the early stages. England's play was messy after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents followed he lost the ball cheaply. His booking came after he lost the ball to Broja and brought down the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

In the end the bench quality made the difference. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who seemed better suited to the role in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner kick for Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that set pieces are going to be vital next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. At the end, all eyes were on the midfielder. Tuchel walked up from behind and directed the player to acknowledge the English fans. The bond between them is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to give up on the player just yet. Yet whether he is willing to give him centre stage is not guaranteed.