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Should Bellingham hopes to earn his place back into England’s best squad, it would be smart to do away with the nonsense. His response after noticing that the substitute board was about to come up after a match of mixed performance in Tirana was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to make more out of it but I hold to my words 'attitude matters' and consideration for the teammates who enter the game," Tuchel said. "Choices are taken and you must accept them being a professional."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for an outburst. The captain had just put the Three Lions two goals ahead in a meaningless fixture, the game had six minutes to go and Bellingham, after a below-par performance, received a caution for fouling the Albanian striker. This was hardly a controversial substitution. Indeed it would have been foolish for Tuchel to not substitute him because there was a chance the midfielder would make himself ineligible of the opening game of the World Cup by picking up a second yellow card.

Drawing Attention to Himself

Yet Bellingham drew all eyes toward himself. It was impossible to miss the young midfielder's annoyance when he clocked that his replacement was ready for another player. His arms went up in exasperation and while he shook Tuchel’s hand after making his way to the bench there was no doubt that the head coach was not impressed.

This is the challenge facing Bellingham. He congratulated Marcus Rashford for sending in the ball for the captain to nod home his second goal, but the rest was harmful to his cause. It's not like protesting was going to reverse the substitution. The German has repeatedly emphasized respecting team hierarchies and the importance of acting professionally.

Under Scrutiny

Bellingham, omitted from the previous squad, has faced close inspection upon his return to the team recently. Practically he was being assessed and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to his substitution as the national team wrapped up a flawless qualification run by seeing off a feisty challenge from their opponents.

Tactics and Formation

As a result it's unclear on whether the team operate most effectively including Bellingham. The evidence here was not definitive. There was experimentation by the coach at the start. Under him, England have gained the team organization and direction over the past few matches, using a No 6, a central midfielder, a playmaker and dedicated wide players, but the approach changed in this match. Quansah was made his England debut, Wharton was in the starting lineup for England and the role of Stones as a makeshift midfielder created a faint echo to Manchester City’s historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

His performance was inconsistent. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze in the latter period but often looked trying too hard. There were a lot of poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation with a rival player in the early stages. England's play was messy after halftime. A scoring chance for the opponents resulted from Bellingham gave the ball away. His caution occurred when he lost the ball from Broja and fouled the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally England’s depth was decisive. The coach brought on Phil Foden, who seemed more comfortable to the spot that Bellingham had played during the first half, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka provided a corner for Kane to score the first goal. It was a reminder that dead-ball situations will be crucial next summer.

Bridge Still Stands

Still, though, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of the winger's delivery for the second goal was somewhat overlooked due to the fuss of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, all eyes were on Bellingham. Tuchel came over to his side and guided the Real Madrid midfielder in the direction of the English fans. Their connection is not damaged. Tuchel is not willing to give up on the player just yet. Yet whether the coach is prepared to offer him centre stage is not guaranteed.