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Should Bellingham hopes to fight his way into the English strongest team, he would be wise to cut out the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted upon realizing that the substitute board was being shown following a night of uneven play in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the squad members who come in," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you must accept them as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no need for an outburst. The captain had just put the national team leading by two in a meaningless match, there were six minutes left and the player, after a below-par performance, received a caution for a foul on the Albanian striker. This was hardly a controversial substitution. Indeed it would have been unwise for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch because there was a risk Bellingham would rule himself out of the first match of the World Cup by picking up a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's disappointment as he realized that he was going to make way for another player. He flung his arms in the air and while he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the sideline it was obvious that the manager did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge facing Bellingham. He praised Rashford for delivering the cross for Kane to nod home his second goal, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. There was no chance protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the necessity of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

He, not included in the team last month, has faced close inspection upon his return to the team recently. In effect he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to coming off the pitch as the side rounded off a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The Coach's Plan

As a result the jury is out on whether the squad function at their best including Bellingham. The evidence here was not definitive. There was experimentation from the manager at the start. He has provided the squad organization and direction over the past few matches, using a No 6, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but it felt different versus Albania. The young defender was made his England debut, Wharton made his first start at this level and the role of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder created a faint echo to City's team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for Eze in the latter period but often looked overly eager to shine. He made many hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player early on. The team looked disjointed after halftime. One Albania chance came after he lost the ball cheaply. His booking was shown after he was dispossessed by Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

Ultimately England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who appeared more comfortable to the position occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka delivered a corner for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that set pieces will be crucial at the World Cup.

Relationship Not Broken

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was a little lost due to the fuss of the player change. When the match concluded, all eyes were on the midfielder. Tuchel came over to his side and directed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to abandon Bellingham yet. Yet whether he is willing to offer him centre stage is still uncertain.