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Should Bellingham hopes to fight his way once again into England’s strongest starting eleven, it would be smart to do away with the nonsense. The way he reacted after noticing that the substitute board was about to come up after a match of mixed performance in the match against Albania fell short of expectations.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I stick to my words 'behaviour is key' and consideration for the teammates who substitute on," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you must accept them as a player."

Bellingham has to learn. It was unnecessary for a tantrum. The captain had only moments earlier made it the national team leading by two in an inconsequential match, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, following an inconsistent display, received a caution for fouling an opponent. It was not a controversial substitution. In fact it might have been reckless for Tuchel to keep Bellingham on the pitch considering there was a risk he would make himself ineligible of the initial fixture of the competition by receiving a second caution.

Shifting Focus Upon Himself

However, the player turned the spotlight on himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's annoyance as he realized that he was going to make way for another player. He flung his arms in the air and while he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the touchline there was no doubt that the head coach did not appreciate it.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for sending in the ball for the captain to nod home the team's second, but the rest was harmful to his cause. There was no chance arguing was going to alter the decision. The German has repeatedly emphasized honoring the team structure and the necessity of showing proper conduct.

Under Scrutiny

The midfielder, left out of last month’s squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the team this month. In effect his place has been in question and he hasn't helped his case through his behavior to being taken off as the national team completed a ideal group stage by seeing off a tough opposition from their opponents.

The Coach's Plan

This implies the jury is out on how the squad perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested from Tuchel at the start. He has provided England structure and clarity over the past few matches, building with a No 6, a box-to-box player, a No 10 and specialist wingers, but it felt different versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was made his England debut, Wharton started for the first time at this level and the use of Stones as a part-time midfielder meant there was faint echo to Manchester City’s 2023 treble winners.

Mixed Performance

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for his teammate after the break but often looked too desperate to impress. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. A pointless clash with a rival player at the beginning. England's play was messy after halftime. An opportunity for Albania came after he lost the ball cheaply. His booking was shown after he lost the ball to Broja and brought down the attacker.

Squad Strength Shows

Finally England’s depth made the difference. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who seemed more comfortable to the role that Bellingham had played in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka delivered a corner kick for Harry Kane to open the scoring. It highlighted that set pieces will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, the focus was on Bellingham. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for Kane's goal was a little lost amid the drama of the substitution incident. When the match concluded, everyone was watching him. The coach approached behind him and directed the Real Madrid midfielder to acknowledge the English fans. The bond between them is not broken. Tuchel is not willing to abandon him at this stage. Yet whether Tuchel is inclined to offer him a starring role is still uncertain.