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For Bellingham to hopes to force his way once again into the English top team, he would be wise to eliminate the dramatics. The way he reacted upon realizing that the substitute board was about to come up following a night of inconsistency in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I’d rather not overstate it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the teammates who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them when you're on the field."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a strop. Kane had just put the national team 2-0 up in a dead rubber qualifier, the game had six minutes to go and he, following an inconsistent display, had just been booked for fouling the Albanian striker. It was not a controversial substitution. Indeed it would have been foolish for the head coach to not substitute him given that it was possible Bellingham would rule himself out of the opening game of the competition by picking up a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight to Himself

Yet Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the player's disappointment upon understanding that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. He threw his arms up and even though he accepted the coach's hand after making his way to the bench there was no doubt that the manager was not impressed.

Here lies the test that Bellingham must overcome. He praised Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for Kane to score his second of the night, but his other actions was harmful to his cause. It is not as if arguing was going to alter the decision. The German has talked so much about following squad protocols and the value of acting professionally.

In the Spotlight

He, left out of last month’s squad, has faced close inspection after returning to the team in the current camp. In effect he was being assessed and he has not done himself any favours with his response to being taken off as the national team rounded off a flawless qualification run by seeing off a spirited effort from Albania.

Tactics and Formation

As a result the jury is out on if the team perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was inconclusive. There was experimentation from Tuchel at the start. Under him, England have gained the team structure and clarity lately, using a defensive midfielder, a No 8, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but the approach changed versus Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, Wharton started for the first time for England and the role of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was similar look to City's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for his teammate after the break but often looked too desperate to impress. There were a lot of rushed, misplaced passes. A pointless clash with a rival player at the beginning. England's play was messy after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents came after Bellingham gave the ball away. His booking came after an opponent took the ball to Broja and committed a foul on Broja.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end England’s depth proved crucial. The coach brought on Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the spot in which Bellingham operated during the first half, and the Arsenal winger. In time Saka provided a corner for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. It highlighted that corners and free-kicks will play a key role at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford's cross for Kane’s header was somewhat overlooked in the ridiculousness of the player change. When the match concluded, the focus was on him. Tuchel walked up behind him and pushed the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the English fans. Their connection is not damaged. The coach isn't ready to discard him at this stage. But if the coach is prepared to grant him the central position remains in doubt.