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For Bellingham to aims to fight his way back into England’s best starting eleven, it would be smart to do away with the nonsense. The way he reacted when he saw that he was being shown after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana fell short of expectations.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the players who enter the game," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for an outburst. The captain had just put the Three Lions leading by two in a meaningless match, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for bringing down an opponent. It was not a controversial substitution. Actually it would have been foolish for the head coach to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that it was possible Bellingham would make himself ineligible of the first match of the competition by getting a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus on Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's disappointment as he realized that he would be substituted for another player. He flung his arms in the air and while he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the bench it was clear that Tuchel was displeased.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to head in the team's second, but everything else was counterproductive. There was no chance arguing was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the importance of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

He, omitted from the team last month, has been under scrutiny upon his return to the team in the current camp. Essentially his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours with his response to coming off the pitch as the national team rounded off a flawless qualification run by overcoming a feisty challenge from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

As a result it's unclear on how the team operate most effectively with Bellingham in the team. The performance was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel in the beginning. Under him, England have gained the squad structure and clarity in recent months, employing a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel in this match. The young defender was given his first cap, Adam Wharton made his first start for England and the role of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for his teammate in the latter period but often looked trying too hard. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player early on. The team looked disjointed after halftime. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution was shown after he lost the ball from Broja and fouled Broja.

Substitutes Decide

Finally England’s depth was decisive. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who looked more comfortable to the spot occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and Saka. Eventually Saka delivered a corner for the captain to open the scoring. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for Kane's goal was somewhat overlooked due to the fuss of the Rogers substitution. At the end, all eyes were on him. The coach approached from behind and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the English fans. Their connection remains intact. The coach isn't ready to abandon Bellingham yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to give him a starring role is not guaranteed.