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Should Bellingham wants to force his way back into England’s best starting eleven, it would be smart to do away with the nonsense. His response after noticing that the substitute board was about to come up after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana was not good enough.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the squad members who come in," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you must accept them when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for an outburst. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the national team 2-0 up in a dead rubber qualifier, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for bringing down an opponent. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. In fact it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on because it was possible the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the World Cup by receiving a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s frustration as he realized that he would be substituted for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the sideline there was no doubt that the head coach was not impressed.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for the captain to nod home his second goal, but his other actions was self-defeating. It is not as if protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the necessity of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

He, not included in the previous squad, is being watched carefully after returning to the squad this month. Practically his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to coming off the pitch as England completed a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a feisty challenge from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

As a result opinions are divided on how the team perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested from the manager early on. He has given the squad organization and direction in recent months, employing a No 6, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. The young defender was handed his international debut, Wharton started for the first time at this level and the positioning of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder created a passing resemblance to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze after the break but often looked trying too hard. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash with a rival player early on. England's play was messy for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card occurred when he was dispossessed to Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Depth Makes the Difference

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 Saka. Eventually Saka provided a set-piece for the captain to open the scoring. It highlighted that corners and free-kicks are going to be vital next summer.

Connection Remains

However, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. At the end, everyone was watching the midfielder. Tuchel came over to his side and pushed the player towards the English fans. Their relationship is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on him at this stage. Yet whether he is willing to offer him the central position is still uncertain.