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For Bellingham to hopes to force his way into England’s best squad, it would be smart to do away with the dramatics. His reaction after noticing that the substitute board was about to come up after a match of inconsistency in Tirana was not good enough.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'behaviour is key' and respect for the teammates who substitute on," commented the coach. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it as a player."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no need for a strop. Kane had only moments earlier made it the national team leading by two in a meaningless match, there were six minutes left and he, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for bringing down an opponent. This could scarcely be called a questionable change. In fact it would have been unwise for the manager to not substitute him given that there was a risk he would rule himself out of the opening game of the competition by picking up a second yellow card.

Shifting Focus to Himself

But Bellingham made himself the center of attention. There was no disguising the young midfielder's annoyance as he realized that he would be substituted for another player. He flung his arms in the air and even though he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the sideline it was clear that the manager did not appreciate it.

This is the challenge for Bellingham. He congratulated Rashford for providing the assist for Harry Kane to head in his second goal, but everything else was counterproductive. It's not like arguing was going to alter the decision. The German has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the value of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

He, omitted from the previous squad, has faced close inspection since coming back to the fold this month. Essentially he has been on trial and his actions haven't benefited him by reacting to his substitution as the side wrapped up a flawless qualification run by seeing off a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

As a result it's unclear on whether the squad function at their best when Bellingham plays. What we saw was open to interpretation. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel at the start. He has provided the team a clear system lately, employing a No 6, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and out-and-out wingers, but there was a different feel versus Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, Adam Wharton started for the first time internationally and the role of Stones as a makeshift midfielder gave a passing resemblance to the Manchester club's team that won three trophies.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but frequently appeared trying too hard. He made many rushed, misplaced passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent at the beginning. England's play was messy during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking was shown after he was dispossessed from Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Squad Strength Shows

In the end the squad's strength was decisive. Tuchel threw on the Manchester City player, who seemed better suited to the role occupied by Bellingham earlier in the match, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka delivered a set-piece for Harry Kane to open the scoring. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. 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 him. Tuchel came over to his side and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder towards the away supporters. Their connection is not broken. The coach isn't ready to discard the player just yet. Yet whether he is willing to offer him the central position is still uncertain.