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Should Bellingham aims to force his way once again into the English best starting eleven, the smart move to do away with the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted upon realizing that his number was about to come up 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 'conduct is crucial' and consideration for the players who come in," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you have to accept it when you're on the field."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. It was unnecessary for a strop. Kane had recently scored to make the national team two goals ahead in a meaningless match, there were six minutes left and the player, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for a foul on the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a controversial substitution. Indeed it would have been unwise for the head coach to leave Bellingham on given that it was possible the midfielder would be suspended of the opening game of the World Cup by receiving a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s disappointment when he clocked that his replacement was ready for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and even though he exchanged a handshake on his way to the touchline there was no doubt that Tuchel was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle facing Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to head in his second goal, but the rest was counterproductive. It's not like arguing was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has talked so much about following squad protocols and the necessity of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

He, omitted from the team last month, is being watched carefully since coming back to the squad recently. Practically he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case with his response to coming off the pitch as the national team wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a tough opposition from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

As a result opinions are divided on how the squad perform optimally including Bellingham. The performance was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach at the start. He has given the squad structure and clarity in recent months, building with a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, a playmaker and specialist wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. Quansah was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton made his first start at this level and the use of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder gave a faint echo to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but often looked trying too hard. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with an Albania midfielder at the beginning. The team looked disjointed after halftime. An opportunity for Albania came after Bellingham squandered possession. His booking came after he lost the ball by Broja and brought down Broja.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the squad's strength made the difference. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who looked better suited to the spot occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka delivered a corner kick for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that corners and free-kicks will be crucial next summer.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for the second goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the substitution incident. At the end, the focus was on him. Tuchel came over from behind and directed Bellingham in the direction of the away supporters. Their relationship is not damaged. Tuchel hasn't decided to discard him at this stage. But if the coach is prepared to give him a starring role remains in doubt.