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Should Bellingham aims to fight his way back into England’s best squad, it would be smart to do away with the nonsense. His reaction upon realizing that his number was about to come up following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the players who substitute on," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you need to comply as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a tantrum. Harry Kane had only moments earlier made it England 2-0 up in a dead rubber fixture, there were six minutes left and he, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for a foul on the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. Indeed it would have been unwise for the manager to leave Bellingham on because there was a chance he would be suspended of the opening game of the World Cup by picking up a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the player's disappointment when he clocked that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and even though he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the sideline it was clear that Tuchel was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to nod home his second of the night, but the rest was counterproductive. It's not like protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the value of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, not included in the team last month, has faced close inspection since coming back to the team in the current camp. Practically he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case with his response to his substitution as the side rounded off a flawless qualification run by defeating a tough opposition from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

This implies the jury is out on how the squad operate most effectively including Bellingham. The performance was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested from the manager in the beginning. He has provided England structure and clarity over the past few matches, using a holding player, a central midfielder, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different against Albania. Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton was in the starting lineup for England and the use of the defender as a part-time midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to Manchester City’s 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for his teammate after the break but at times seemed overly eager to shine. There were a lot of hurried and errant 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 resulted from he lost the ball cheaply. His caution was shown after he lost the ball by Broja and committed a foul on Broja.

Depth Makes the Difference

Finally England’s depth made the difference. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who seemed more comfortable to the role that Bellingham had played during the first half, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka provided a corner kick for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will play a key role at the World Cup.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for the second goal was a little lost amid the drama of the player change. At the end, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel walked up behind him and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the travelling England fans. The bond between them remains intact. Tuchel is not willing to discard Bellingham yet. Yet whether the coach is prepared to give him a starring role is still uncertain.