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For Bellingham to aims to force his way back into England’s best starting eleven, he would be wise to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His response when he saw that he was about to come up after a match of uneven play in Tirana was not good enough.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect for the squad members who come in," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you need to comply as a player."

The midfielder must understand. There was no need for an outburst. Kane had just put England leading by two in a dead rubber qualifier, with only six minutes remaining and the player, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for fouling Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a debatable decision. In fact it might have been reckless for Tuchel to leave Bellingham on considering there was a risk he would rule himself out of the first match of the competition by picking up a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. No one could overlook the young midfielder's disappointment as he realized that he would be substituted for another player. He threw his arms up and while he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the sideline there was no doubt that Tuchel was not impressed.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for providing the assist for Harry Kane to nod home his second of the night, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. There was no chance protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the necessity of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, not included in the team last month, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the team recently. In effect he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the national team completed a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a tough opposition from Albania.

The System and the Setup

As a result the jury is out on how the squad operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel at the start. Under him, England have gained the team a clear system in recent months, employing a No 6, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but the approach changed in this match. The young defender was given his first cap, Wharton was in the starting lineup for England and the role of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder created a faint echo to City's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze during the second half but frequently appeared overly eager to shine. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. A pointless clash with an Albania midfielder early on. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. An opportunity for Albania followed he lost the ball cheaply. His caution was shown after he lost the ball from Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

Ultimately the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel threw on Foden, who seemed more naturally fitted to the spot in which Bellingham operated in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka whipped in a corner for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations will play a key role next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of the winger's delivery for the second goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, the focus was on the midfielder. The coach approached to his side and guided the Real Madrid midfielder towards the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on him at this stage. But if Tuchel is inclined to offer him centre stage is still uncertain.