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Should Bellingham aims to earn his place back into England’s strongest team, it would be smart to cut out the dramatics. His reaction when he saw that his number was going up following a night of mixed performance in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I prefer not to overstate it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the squad members who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you need to comply when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for a tantrum. The captain had recently scored to make England two goals ahead in an inconsequential fixture, the game had six minutes to go and he, after a below-par performance, received a caution for fouling an opponent. It was not a controversial substitution. Actually it would have been foolish for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that it was possible he would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the World Cup by getting a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's frustration upon understanding that his replacement was ready for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and while he exchanged a handshake on his way to the touchline there was no doubt that Tuchel was displeased.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Kane to score the team's second, but the rest was counterproductive. It is not as if protesting was going to alter the decision. The coach has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the value of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, left out of the previous squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the squad this month. Essentially his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the national team completed a flawless qualification run by seeing off a tough opposition from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

As a result it's unclear on how England operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. What we saw was not definitive. There was experimentation by the coach at the start. He has provided England organization and direction in recent months, using a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but the approach changed against Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the use of the defender as a makeshift midfielder meant there was similar look to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze after the break but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. Several poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder in the early stages. England were ragged for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution came after an opponent took the ball to Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end England’s depth made the difference. The coach brought on Foden, who appeared better suited to the role in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. In time Saka delivered a corner kick for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that corners and free-kicks will play a key role next summer.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was partly forgotten amid the drama of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel came over to his side and directed the player to acknowledge the away supporters. Their connection remains intact. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on him at this stage. But if the coach is prepared to grant him a starring role remains in doubt.