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Should Bellingham hopes to fight his way back into England’s top starting eleven, it would be smart to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that he was being shown after an evening of mixed performance in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the players who come in," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. There was no need for a strop. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions 2-0 up in a dead rubber qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and he, after a below-par performance, had just been booked for fouling Armando Broja. This was hardly a debatable decision. Actually it would have been foolish for Tuchel to leave Bellingham on given that there was a risk the midfielder would rule himself out of the opening game of the World Cup by picking up a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's disappointment upon understanding that he would be substituted for another player. He flung his arms in the air and even though he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the touchline it was clear that Tuchel was displeased.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to head in his second goal, but everything else was counterproductive. There was no chance protesting was going to alter the decision. The German has talked so much about respecting team hierarchies and the importance of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

The midfielder, omitted from the previous squad, has faced close inspection after returning to the squad this month. Essentially he was being assessed and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to being taken off as the national team completed a flawless qualification run by seeing off a spirited effort from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

As a result the jury is out on whether the squad function at their best including Bellingham. The evidence here was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach in the beginning. He has given the team structure and clarity over the past few matches, building with a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but there was a different feel against Albania. The young defender was handed his international debut, the midfielder was in the starting lineup at this level and the positioning of Stones as a part-time midfielder created a faint echo to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

Inconsistent Display

His performance was inconsistent. He created an opportunity for his teammate during the second half but often looked overly eager to shine. He made many hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player in the early stages. England were ragged for much of the second half. One Albania chance came after he lost the ball cheaply. The yellow card occurred when he lost the ball from Broja and fouled the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who looked more naturally fitted to the position that Bellingham had played during the first half, and the Arsenal winger. Later Saka provided a set-piece for the captain to score the first goal. It highlighted that dead-ball situations are going to be vital in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was partly forgotten amid the drama of the player change. After the final whistle, all eyes were on him. The coach approached from behind and pushed the player towards the away supporters. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to give up on him at this stage. But if the coach is prepared to offer him centre stage is not guaranteed.