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For Bellingham to hopes to earn his place back into England’s top starting eleven, it would be smart to do away with the nonsense. His response upon realizing that his number was being shown after a match of uneven play in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and respect for the teammates who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you need to comply when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a strop. Kane had just put England 2-0 up in a meaningless qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and he, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for a foul on an opponent. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. In fact it would have been unwise for the head coach to leave Bellingham on because there was a chance he would rule himself out of the first match of the competition by picking up a second caution.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

However, the player drew all eyes toward himself. There was no disguising the player's frustration when he clocked that he was going to make way for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and while he exchanged a handshake on his way to the sideline there was no doubt that the manager was not impressed.

This is the challenge that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Rashford for sending in the ball for the captain to score his second goal, but his other actions was counterproductive. It is not as if complaining was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has stressed repeatedly following squad protocols and the importance of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, not included in the previous squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the team this month. Practically he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours with his response to being taken off as England rounded off a ideal group stage by overcoming a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

As a result the jury is out on if England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. Tuchel tried new things from Tuchel at the start. He has given the squad a clear system over the past few matches, employing a defensive midfielder, a No 8, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but it felt different versus Albania. The young defender was given his first cap, the midfielder was in the starting lineup for England and the positioning of the defender as a part-time midfielder meant there was faint echo to City's team that won three trophies.

Inconsistent Display

His performance was inconsistent. He set up a shot for his teammate after the break but frequently appeared trying too hard. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player early on. England were ragged for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card occurred when he was dispossessed from Broja and brought down Broja.

Substitutes Decide

Ultimately the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel introduced Phil Foden, who looked more naturally fitted to the spot that Bellingham had played during the first half, and the Arsenal winger. Eventually Saka whipped in a set-piece for Harry Kane to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for Kane's goal was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the player change. When the match concluded, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel came over behind him and directed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the away supporters. The bond between them is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to discard Bellingham yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to offer him centre stage is not guaranteed.