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For Bellingham to hopes to earn his place into the English best team, it would be smart to eliminate the unnecessary reactions. His reaction upon realizing that his number was about to come up after a match of uneven play in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who come in," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it being a professional."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for an outburst. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions two goals ahead in a dead rubber fixture, there were six minutes left and the player, after a below-par performance, was just shown a yellow for fouling the Albanian striker. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. In fact it would have been unwise for the head coach to leave Bellingham on considering it was possible the midfielder would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the tournament by picking up a second yellow card.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s disappointment as he realized that he would be substituted for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and although he shook Tuchel’s hand on his way to the bench there was no doubt that Tuchel was not impressed.

This is the challenge facing Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for the captain to score his second of the night, but his other actions was self-defeating. There was no chance protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The coach has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the value of showing proper conduct.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, left out of the team last month, has faced close inspection after returning to the team this month. Practically his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to his substitution as the national team completed a ideal group stage by seeing off a spirited effort from Albania.

The Coach's Plan

It means opinions are divided on whether England perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was inconclusive. There was experimentation by the coach at the start. He has given England organization and direction in recent months, employing a No 6, a central midfielder, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel against Albania. Jarell Quansah was handed his international debut, the midfielder started for the first time at this level and the positioning of the defender as a part-time midfielder gave a passing resemblance to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for his teammate after the break but at times seemed too desperate to impress. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. A pointless clash with a rival player at the beginning. England's play was messy during most of the second period. An opportunity for Albania resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. His booking came after an opponent took the ball to Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Finally the bench quality made the difference. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who looked more naturally fitted to the spot that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a set-piece for the captain to score the first goal. This served as a reminder that set pieces will play a key role at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

However, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of the winger's delivery for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the substitution incident. At the end, everyone was watching him. Tuchel walked up behind him and directed Bellingham towards the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not broken. The coach isn't ready to discard Bellingham yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to offer him a starring role remains in doubt.