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Should Bellingham hopes to force his way back into the English strongest starting eleven, it would be smart to cut out the unnecessary reactions. His response upon realizing that the substitute board was about to come up after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana was not good enough.

"I’d rather not make more out of it but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the squad members who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for an outburst. The captain had just put the Three Lions leading by two in a dead rubber match, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for a foul on an opponent. It was not a questionable change. Actually it would have been foolish for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering there was a risk the midfielder would rule himself out of the first match of the World Cup by picking up a another booking.

Shifting Focus on Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the young midfielder's frustration when he clocked that he would be substituted for Morgan Rogers. He flung his arms in the air and while he accepted the coach's hand while heading to the touchline it was clear that the head coach did not appreciate it.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to nod home his second goal, but his other actions was counterproductive. It's not like protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the importance of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

Bellingham, omitted from the team last month, is being watched carefully upon his return to the squad recently. In effect he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case with his response to his substitution as England rounded off a flawless qualification run by overcoming a feisty challenge from their opponents.

The System and the Setup

It means opinions are divided on whether the squad perform optimally including Bellingham. The evidence here was open to interpretation. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. He has provided the squad structure and clarity lately, employing a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel in this match. The young defender was handed his international debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup at this level and the role of the defender as a part-time midfielder created a faint echo to the Manchester club's 2023 treble winners.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for his teammate during the second half but frequently appeared trying too hard. He made many poorly executed passes. A pointless clash against an opponent early on. England's play was messy after halftime. One Albania chance followed Bellingham squandered possession. His booking came after he lost the ball from Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

Ultimately the squad's strength made the difference. Tuchel threw on Phil Foden, who appeared more comfortable to the spot occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and Saka. Later Saka whipped in a corner for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that set pieces will be crucial next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the player change. When the match concluded, everyone was watching the midfielder. The coach approached behind him and guided the Real Madrid midfielder towards the travelling England fans. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to give up on the player just yet. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to grant him the central position is not guaranteed.