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For Bellingham to wants to earn his place once again into England’s top starting eleven, it would be smart to do away with the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that the substitute board was being shown after an evening of mixed performance in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the teammates who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you need to comply when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for an outburst. Kane had just put England 2-0 up in a dead rubber match, the game had six minutes to go and the player, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for a foul on Armando Broja. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. In fact it would have been unwise for Tuchel to leave Bellingham on given that it was possible the midfielder would rule himself out of the first match of the tournament by picking up a another booking.

Shifting Focus to Himself

But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. There was no disguising the 22-year-old’s frustration upon understanding that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the sideline it was clear that the head coach was displeased.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He congratulated his teammate for delivering the cross for Kane to head in his second goal, but everything else was self-defeating. It is not as if arguing was going to alter the decision. The German has talked so much about following squad protocols and the value of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

He, left out of the previous squad, is being watched carefully since coming back to the squad this month. Essentially he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him with his response to coming off the pitch as England wrapped up a flawless qualification run by seeing off a spirited effort from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

It means the jury is out on whether England function at their best when Bellingham plays. What we saw was open to interpretation. Tuchel tried new things by the coach in the beginning. He has given England structure and clarity in recent months, using a holding player, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and specialist wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, the midfielder started for the first time internationally and the positioning of the defender as a makeshift midfielder created a passing resemblance to City's 2023 treble winners.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze during the second half but at times seemed overly eager to shine. Several hurried and errant passes. There was a needless bit of aggro against an opponent in the early stages. England's play was messy after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking came after an opponent took the ball to Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally England’s depth proved crucial. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who looked better suited to the spot occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a corner for Kane to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks will play a key role next summer.

Connection Remains

Still, though, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was partly forgotten due to the fuss of the player change. When the match concluded, the focus was on him. The coach approached behind him and guided the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to abandon him at this stage. However, whether he is willing to offer him centre stage remains in doubt.