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Should Bellingham wants to force his way into England’s strongest squad, he would be wise to cut out the nonsense. The way he reacted upon realizing that his number was being shown following a night of mixed performance in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the squad members who come in," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it being a professional."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a strop. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the national team leading by two in a meaningless fixture, the game had six minutes to go and the player, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for bringing down Armando Broja. It was not a controversial substitution. In fact it might have been reckless for the manager to not substitute him considering there was a chance he would make himself ineligible of the first match of the World Cup by getting a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. No one could overlook the 22-year-old’s frustration as he realized that he was going to make way for a teammate. He threw his arms up and although he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading to the bench there was no doubt that the manager was displeased.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He applauded Rashford for providing the assist for the captain to nod home his second of the night, but the rest was harmful to his cause. There was no chance complaining was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has talked so much about following squad protocols and the value of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

Bellingham, not included in the team last month, has faced close inspection since coming back to the fold recently. Practically his place has been in question and he hasn't helped his case through his behavior to coming off the pitch as England wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

As a result it's unclear on how England function at their best with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was open to interpretation. There was experimentation from Tuchel at the start. He has provided the team organization and direction over the past few matches, employing a holding player, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel against Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, Adam Wharton made his first start for England and the positioning of Stones as a part-time midfielder created a passing resemblance to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He set up a shot for Eze during the second half but at times seemed overly eager to shine. He made many hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player early on. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. One Albania chance followed he lost the ball cheaply. His booking occurred when he was dispossessed by Broja and brought down the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the bench quality made the difference. Tuchel introduced Foden, who seemed more naturally fitted to the position occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka provided a set-piece for the captain to break the deadlock. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations will be crucial at the World Cup.

Bridge Still Stands

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The quality of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, all eyes were on the midfielder. Tuchel came over from behind and directed the player to acknowledge the away supporters. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to give up on the player just yet. But if he is willing to grant him a starring role is not guaranteed.