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Should Bellingham wants to earn his place once again into England’s strongest team, the smart move to eliminate the nonsense. His reaction when he saw that the substitute board was being shown after a match of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the teammates who come in," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for an outburst. Kane had just put England leading by two in a meaningless match, the game had six minutes to go and he, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for fouling an opponent. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Indeed it would have been unwise for the head coach to leave Bellingham on given that there was a risk he would rule himself out of the opening game of the competition by receiving a second caution.

Shifting Focus to Himself

But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s disappointment as he realized that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and although he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the touchline it was obvious that the manager was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He praised his teammate for providing the assist for the captain to nod home the team's second, but everything else was self-defeating. It's not like arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the value of showing proper conduct.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, left out of the team last month, has faced close inspection since coming back to the fold in the current camp. In effect he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case with his response to his substitution as the side rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by overcoming a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

As a result opinions are divided on how England operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was not definitive. There was experimentation by the coach at the start. He has provided the squad organization and direction lately, using a holding player, a central midfielder, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. Quansah was handed his international debut, Wharton made his first start for England and the positioning of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder created a similar look to City's 2023 treble winners.

Inconsistent Display

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze after the break but at times seemed too desperate to impress. He made many poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder early on. England's play was messy for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents followed he lost the ball cheaply. His caution was shown after he lost the ball by Broja and brought down the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the squad's strength made the difference. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who seemed better suited to the spot that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka delivered a set-piece for the captain to score the first goal. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Bridge Still Stands

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the player change. When the match concluded, the focus was on Bellingham. The coach approached to his side and directed Bellingham to acknowledge the travelling England fans. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to abandon him at this stage. Yet whether he is willing to offer him centre stage remains in doubt.