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Should Bellingham wants to earn his place back into England’s top team, he would be wise to cut out the nonsense. His reaction upon realizing that he was about to come up after a match of mixed performance in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the squad members who enter the game," commented the coach. "Choices are taken and you must accept them being a professional."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for a tantrum. The captain had just put the national team 2-0 up in an inconsequential qualifier, there were six minutes left and the player, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for fouling the Albanian striker. It was not a debatable decision. Actually it might have been reckless for the manager to leave Bellingham on considering there was a risk he would be suspended of the opening game of the World Cup by receiving a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus on Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s frustration upon understanding that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and even though he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the bench there was no doubt that the manager was not impressed.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to head in the team's second, but everything else was counterproductive. It's not like arguing was going to alter the decision. Tuchel has talked so much about honoring the team structure and the necessity of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

He, not included in the previous squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the fold in the current camp. In effect his place has been in question and his actions haven't benefited him through his behavior to coming off the pitch as England wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a spirited effort from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

It means opinions are divided on whether England perform optimally when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach in the beginning. Under him, England have gained England structure and clarity in recent months, using a holding player, a No 8, a playmaker and out-and-out wingers, but there was a different feel versus Albania. Quansah was handed his international debut, Adam Wharton made his first start at this level and the use of John Stones as a makeshift midfielder meant there was faint echo to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for Eze after the break but frequently appeared too desperate to impress. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent at the beginning. England were ragged after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents came after he lost the ball cheaply. His caution came after an opponent took the ball from Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who appeared more comfortable to the position that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. In time Saka delivered a corner for Harry Kane to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, all eyes were on Bellingham. The coach approached behind him and guided the player to acknowledge the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not broken. The coach isn't ready to abandon the player just yet. However, whether Tuchel is inclined to offer him the central position is not guaranteed.