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For Bellingham to aims to earn his place into England’s best starting eleven, the smart move to eliminate the nonsense. His reaction upon realizing that he was about to come up after an evening of mixed performance in Tirana was not good enough.

"I prefer not to overstate it but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the teammates who come in," commented the coach. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for an outburst. Kane had just put England two goals ahead in a meaningless match, the game had six minutes to go and he, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for a foul on an opponent. This was hardly a questionable change. Indeed it would have been foolish for the head coach to leave Bellingham on given that there was a risk Bellingham would be suspended of the first match of the World Cup by picking up a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus to Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the young midfielder's frustration when he clocked that he would be substituted for another player. He threw his arms up and although he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the bench there was no doubt that the manager was displeased.

Here lies the test for Bellingham. He applauded Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for the captain to nod home his second of the night, but his other actions was self-defeating. It is not as if complaining was going to alter the decision. The coach has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the necessity of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, not included in the previous squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the fold recently. Practically he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to coming off the pitch as England completed a ideal group stage by defeating a feisty challenge from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

As a result opinions are divided on how the squad operate most effectively when Bellingham plays. The performance was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach at the start. He has provided the team structure and clarity over the past few matches, using a No 6, a central midfielder, a No 10 and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel against Albania. Quansah was given his first cap, Adam Wharton started for the first time for England and the use of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was passing resemblance to Manchester City’s team that won three trophies.

A Game of Two Halves

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for Eze in the latter period but often looked overly eager to shine. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent in the early stages. England were ragged for much of the second half. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card came after he was dispossessed to Broja and committed a foul on the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the bench quality made the difference. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who looked more comfortable to the position occupied by Bellingham during the first half, and Saka. Later Saka delivered a set-piece for the captain to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations are going to be vital next summer.

Relationship Not Broken

However, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was a little lost amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. At the end, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel walked up behind him and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the travelling England fans. Their relationship is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on him at this stage. But if the coach is prepared to grant him the central position is still uncertain.