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For Bellingham to wants to force his way back into England’s strongest squad, he would be wise to eliminate the dramatics. His reaction upon realizing that his number was being shown following a night of uneven play in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the teammates who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Decisions are made and you must accept them being a professional."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for an outburst. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the national team leading by two in a meaningless match, with only six minutes remaining and he, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for bringing down Armando Broja. It was not a debatable decision. Actually it might have been reckless for the head coach to not substitute him because it was possible Bellingham would rule himself out of the first match of the competition by picking up a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention to Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the player's disappointment upon understanding that he would be substituted for another player. He flung his arms in the air and while he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the bench it was obvious that Tuchel was not impressed.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated his teammate for delivering the cross for Kane to head in his second of the night, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. It is not as if arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the value of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, not included in the team last month, has been under scrutiny upon his return to the fold this month. Practically he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the side wrapped up a flawless qualification run by overcoming a spirited effort from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

This implies the jury is out on if the squad perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was open to interpretation. There was experimentation by the coach at the start. He has provided the team a clear system lately, employing a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but it felt different against Albania. The young defender was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton made his first start internationally and the role of the defender as a part-time midfielder created a passing resemblance to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for his teammate after the break but often looked too desperate to impress. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player in the early stages. England's play was messy during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution came after he lost the ball from Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Finally the squad's strength was decisive. The coach brought on Foden, who looked more naturally fitted to the role occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka whipped in a corner kick for the captain to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital next summer.

Connection Remains

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The excellence of the winger's delivery for the second goal was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. After the final whistle, everyone was watching Bellingham. Tuchel came over from behind and guided the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the English fans. Their relationship is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard him at this stage. But if the coach is prepared to give him the central position is not guaranteed.