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Should Bellingham aims to earn his place into England’s top team, he would be wise to eliminate the nonsense. His reaction when he saw that he was about to come up after a match of inconsistency in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to blow it out of proportion but I stick to my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the squad members who substitute on," stated Tuchel. "Decisions are made and you must accept them when you're on the field."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for a strop. Kane had only moments earlier made it England leading by two in an inconsequential qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for fouling an opponent. It was not a controversial substitution. Indeed it would have been foolish for the manager to keep Bellingham on the pitch because there was a risk the midfielder would rule himself out of the opening game of the competition by picking up a another booking.

Shifting Focus on Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the player's frustration upon understanding that his replacement was ready for a teammate. His arms went up in exasperation and although he exchanged a handshake on his way to the touchline it was obvious that the manager was not impressed.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to score his second goal, but the rest was harmful to his cause. There was no chance complaining was going to reverse the substitution. The German has stressed repeatedly respecting team hierarchies and the value of acting professionally.

Facing Examination

The midfielder, omitted from the previous squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the team recently. In effect he has been on trial and he has not done himself any favours through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the side completed a flawless qualification run by overcoming a feisty challenge from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

This implies the jury is out on how England function at their best with Bellingham in the team. The performance was inconclusive. There was experimentation by the coach in the beginning. Under him, England have gained the squad a clear system over the past few matches, employing a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a No 10 and out-and-out wingers, but the approach changed in this match. Quansah was handed his international debut, the midfielder made his first start at this level and the positioning of Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was similar look to Manchester City’s 2023 treble winners.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for Eberechi Eze during the second half but often looked overly eager to shine. Several rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash against an opponent early on. England were ragged during most of the second period. One Albania chance came after he lost the ball cheaply. His booking was shown after an opponent took the ball by Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

Ultimately the bench quality made the difference. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who looked better suited to the position occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Eventually Saka whipped in a set-piece for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It was a reminder that set pieces are going to be vital at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, all talk was about Bellingham. The excellence of Rashford's cross for the second goal was partly forgotten in the ridiculousness of the Rogers substitution. At the end, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel walked up to his side and directed the player towards the away supporters. Their relationship is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to abandon him at this stage. But if the coach is prepared to give him centre stage is not guaranteed.