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Should Bellingham aims to force his way into the English strongest starting eleven, the smart move to do away with the nonsense. His reaction when he saw that his number was going up after a match of mixed performance in the match against Albania was unacceptable.

"I don’t want to overstate it but I stick to my words 'conduct is crucial' and respect towards the players who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you need to comply as a player."

The midfielder must understand. It was unnecessary for a strop. Kane had recently scored to make England leading by two in an inconsequential match, with only six minutes remaining and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, had just been booked for bringing down an opponent. This was hardly a debatable decision. In fact it might have been reckless for Tuchel to not substitute him given that it was possible the midfielder would rule himself out of the first match of the World Cup by picking up a second caution.

Turning the Spotlight on Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. No one could overlook the young midfielder's annoyance when he clocked that he would be substituted for a teammate. He threw his arms up and although he exchanged a handshake after making his way to the bench it was clear that the head coach was not impressed.

This represents the hurdle that Bellingham must overcome. He praised his teammate for sending in the ball for Harry Kane to nod home the team's second, but everything else was self-defeating. It is not as if complaining was going to reverse the substitution. The German has stressed repeatedly honoring the team structure and the importance of behaving correctly.

In the Spotlight

He, left out of last month’s squad, has been under scrutiny since coming back to the squad in the current camp. In effect he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case with his response to being taken off as England wrapped up a perfect qualifying campaign by seeing off a spirited effort from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

As a result the jury is out on if the team function at their best with Bellingham in the team. What we saw was open to interpretation. There was experimentation from the manager at the start. He has given the team a clear system in recent months, using a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and dedicated wide players, but it felt different against Albania. Quansah was made his England debut, the midfielder was in the starting lineup at this level and the use of Stones as a part-time midfielder created a faint echo to City's team that won three trophies.

Mixed Performance

Bellingham had ups and downs. He created an opportunity for Eze during the second half but at times seemed too desperate to impress. There were a lot of hurried and errant passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent at the beginning. England were ragged during most of the second period. One Albania chance followed Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card came after he lost the ball by Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

Finally the bench quality made the difference. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who looked more comfortable to the spot occupied by Bellingham in the opening period, and Bukayo Saka. Later Saka delivered a corner kick for the captain to open the scoring. It was a reminder that set pieces will play a key role at the World Cup.

Connection Remains

Nevertheless, Bellingham was the story. The brilliance of Rashford’s assist for the second goal was somewhat overlooked amid the drama of the Rogers substitution. When the match concluded, everyone was watching him. Tuchel walked up behind him and guided the Real Madrid midfielder towards the English fans. The bond between them is not broken. The coach isn't ready to abandon him at this stage. However, whether the coach is prepared to grant him a starring role remains in doubt.