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For Bellingham to hopes to fight his way once again into England’s top starting eleven, the smart move to eliminate the nonsense. His response when he saw that the substitute board was about to come up following a night of mixed performance in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I stand by my words 'attitude matters' and respect towards the teammates who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Substitutions happen and you must accept them being a professional."

There is a lesson for Bellingham. There was no call for a tantrum. Kane had only moments earlier made it England 2-0 up in a dead rubber match, there were six minutes left and he, following an inconsistent display, was just shown a yellow for a foul on the Albanian striker. This was hardly a controversial substitution. In fact it would have been unwise for the head coach to not substitute him given that it was possible he would make himself ineligible of the first match of the tournament by getting a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

But Bellingham turned the spotlight on himself. No one could overlook the player's disappointment when he clocked that he was going to make way for another player. He flung his arms in the air and while he accepted the coach's hand on his way to the touchline it was obvious that the manager was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle for Bellingham. He congratulated his teammate for delivering the cross for Harry Kane to head in his second goal, but the rest was harmful to his cause. It is not as if protesting was going to change Tuchel’s mind. The German has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the value of behaving correctly.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, omitted from the team last month, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the squad in the current camp. Essentially his place has been in question and he has not done himself any favours by reacting to coming off the pitch as England wrapped up a ideal group stage by overcoming a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

Tactics and Formation

As a result the jury is out on how the squad perform optimally when Bellingham plays. The evidence here was inconclusive. There was experimentation from Tuchel in the beginning. He has provided the squad structure and clarity lately, building with a No 6, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but there was a different feel versus Albania. Jarell Quansah was given his first cap, Wharton was in the starting lineup internationally and the positioning of the defender as an auxiliary midfielder gave a similar look to the Manchester club's historic treble-winning side.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He set up a shot for his teammate during the second half but often looked too desperate to impress. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. There was a needless bit of aggro with a rival player early on. The team looked disjointed during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham squandered possession. His caution occurred when he was dispossessed to Broja and committed a foul on the former Chelsea striker.

Depth Makes the Difference

In the end the squad's strength proved crucial. Tuchel introduced Foden, who appeared more naturally fitted to the role occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and the Arsenal winger. In time Saka provided a corner kick for Harry Kane to break the deadlock. This served as a reminder that dead-ball situations will play a key role in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The quality of Rashford’s assist for Kane’s header was partly forgotten amid the drama of the player change. After the final whistle, all eyes were on him. Tuchel came over from behind and pushed Bellingham towards the away supporters. Their relationship remains intact. The coach isn't ready to discard the player just yet. But if Tuchel is inclined to give him a starring role is not guaranteed.