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For Bellingham to aims to fight his way back into the English strongest starting eleven, the smart move to eliminate the dramatics. The way he reacted upon realizing that he was going up after a match of uneven play in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I stand by my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the squad members who come in," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a tantrum. Kane had only moments earlier made it the national team two goals ahead in a dead rubber fixture, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for fouling the Albanian striker. It was not a questionable change. Indeed it would have been foolish for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch given that there was a chance he would rule himself out of the first match of the tournament by receiving a another booking.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

However, the player made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the young midfielder's disappointment upon understanding that he would be substituted for another player. He threw his arms up and while he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the bench it was obvious that the head coach was not impressed.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He applauded his teammate for sending in the ball for the captain to nod home his second of the night, but everything else was self-defeating. It is not as if protesting was going to reverse the substitution. The coach has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the importance of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

Bellingham, left out of last month’s squad, is being watched carefully upon his return to the fold this month. Essentially he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to coming off the pitch as the side completed a ideal group stage by seeing off a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

It means opinions are divided on how the squad operate most effectively with Bellingham in the team. The performance was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach early on. He has given England organization and direction in recent months, building with a No 6, a central midfielder, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but it felt different in this match. The young defender was made his England debut, the midfielder made his first start at this level and the use of Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was similar look to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eze during the second half but at times seemed too desperate to impress. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash against an opponent early on. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. One Albania chance resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. The yellow card was shown after he was dispossessed to Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who appeared more naturally fitted to the role that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka provided a corner kick for Kane to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The quality of the winger's delivery for the second goal was partly forgotten amid the drama of the substitution incident. At the end, the focus was on Bellingham. Tuchel walked up to his side and directed the player in the direction of the English fans. The bond between them is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard him at this stage. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to grant him the central position remains in doubt.