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For Bellingham to wants to force his way once again into the English strongest squad, the smart move to cut out the unnecessary reactions. The way he reacted upon realizing that he was about to come up following a night of uneven play in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I stick to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the players who come in," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply being a professional."

The midfielder must understand. There was no call for an outburst. The captain had recently scored to make England 2-0 up in a dead rubber fixture, with only six minutes remaining and he, who had not played particularly well, received a caution for bringing down Armando Broja. It was not a questionable change. Actually it would have been foolish for the manager to leave Bellingham on considering it was possible the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the first match of the World Cup by getting a second caution.

Drawing Attention Upon Himself

But Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s disappointment when he clocked that he would be substituted for a teammate. He flung his arms in the air and although he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the touchline it was obvious that the head coach was displeased.

Here lies the test facing Bellingham. He praised Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for the captain to head in the team's second, but the rest was counterproductive. There was no chance arguing was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has talked so much about following squad protocols and the value of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, not included in last month’s squad, is being watched carefully since coming back to the fold this month. Practically he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case through his behavior to coming off the pitch as the national team wrapped up a flawless qualification run by defeating a tough opposition from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

It means it's unclear on if the team perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The performance was not definitive. Some new ideas were tested from the manager in the beginning. He has provided the team structure and clarity in recent months, using a holding player, a central midfielder, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel against Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, Wharton made his first start internationally and the positioning of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder gave a similar look to Manchester City’s 2023 treble winners.

A Game of Two Halves

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze after the break but often looked too desperate to impress. He made many hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash against an opponent early on. The team looked disjointed for much of the second half. One Albania chance came after Bellingham squandered possession. His caution occurred when he lost the ball from Broja and committed a foul on Broja.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally the squad's strength made the difference. Tuchel introduced the Manchester City player, who looked more comfortable to the role in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka delivered a set-piece for Kane to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that corners and free-kicks will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was a little lost amid the drama of the substitution incident. At the end, the focus was on the midfielder. Tuchel came over to his side and pushed Bellingham towards the English fans. Their relationship is not broken. The coach isn't ready to give up on him at this stage. But if Tuchel is inclined to offer him a starring role remains in doubt.