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For Bellingham to aims to force his way once again into the English strongest squad, the smart move to do away with the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that his number was about to come up after an evening of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I’d rather not blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the players 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 a tantrum. The captain had just put England 2-0 up in a dead rubber fixture, with only six minutes remaining and he, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for bringing down an opponent. This was hardly a questionable change. Indeed it would have been foolish for the manager to not substitute him considering there was a risk Bellingham would be suspended of the first match of the World Cup by getting a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's annoyance upon understanding that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and although he exchanged a handshake while heading to the touchline it was clear that the head coach was not impressed.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to nod home the team's second, but the rest was counterproductive. It is not as if protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of acting professionally.

Facing Examination

Bellingham, omitted from last month’s squad, is being watched carefully after returning to the team recently. Essentially he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to being taken off as the national team wrapped up a ideal group stage by seeing off a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

As a result it's unclear on how England perform optimally when Bellingham plays. What we saw was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things by the coach at the start. He has given the squad structure and clarity in recent months, building with a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel against Albania. Quansah was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton started for the first time at this level and the use of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder created a passing resemblance to City's team that won three trophies.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but at times seemed overly eager to shine. He made many hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. England were ragged during most of the second period. One Albania chance followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking came after he was dispossessed by Broja and fouled Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the squad's strength made the difference. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who seemed more naturally fitted to the spot that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka whipped in a set-piece for Kane to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that set pieces will be crucial next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for the second goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, everyone was watching him. Tuchel came over to his side and guided the player to acknowledge the away supporters. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to discard the player just yet. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to give him a starring role is not guaranteed.