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Should Bellingham hopes to force his way into England’s best starting eleven, the smart move to eliminate the nonsense. His response after noticing that his number was being shown after a match of uneven play in the match against Albania was not good enough.

"I prefer not to overstate it but I stand by my words 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the teammates who enter the game," stated Tuchel. "Substitutions happen and you have to accept it being a professional."

Bellingham has to learn. There was no call for a strop. Harry Kane had recently scored to make the Three Lions two goals ahead in a meaningless fixture, there were six minutes left and Bellingham, who had not played particularly well, was just shown a yellow for bringing down an opponent. This was hardly a debatable decision. Actually it would have been unwise for Tuchel to leave Bellingham on given that there was a chance he would rule himself out of the initial fixture of the competition by picking up a another booking.

Turning the Spotlight Upon Himself

Yet Bellingham made himself the center of attention. It was impossible to miss the 22-year-old’s frustration when he clocked that his replacement was ready for Morgan Rogers. His arms went up in exasperation and even though he shook Tuchel’s hand while heading 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 the team's second, but everything else was counterproductive. It is not as if complaining was going to reverse the substitution. Tuchel has repeatedly emphasized following squad protocols and the necessity of behaving correctly.

Facing Examination

He, left out of the previous squad, has been under scrutiny after returning to the fold recently. Essentially he has been on trial and he hasn't helped his case by reacting to his substitution as the side wrapped up a ideal group stage by seeing off a tough opposition from the Albanian team.

The System and the Setup

This implies opinions are divided on if the team perform optimally with Bellingham in the team. The evidence here was inconclusive. Some new ideas were tested by the coach in the beginning. He has provided England a clear system lately, building with a No 6, a box-to-box player, an attacking midfielder and specialist wingers, but there was a different feel in this match. Quansah was given his first cap, Wharton made his first start at this level and the role of John Stones as an auxiliary midfielder meant there was faint echo to City's historic treble-winning side.

Inconsistent Display

Bellingham was a mixed bag. He made a chance for Eberechi Eze after the break but often looked overly eager to shine. Several poorly executed passes. An unnecessary confrontation against an opponent in the early stages. England were ragged during most of the second period. A scoring chance for the opponents followed Bellingham squandered possession. The yellow card was shown after an opponent took the ball from Broja and brought down the former Chelsea striker.

Substitutes Decide

Ultimately the bench quality was decisive. The coach brought on the Manchester City player, who appeared more naturally fitted to the role that Bellingham had played earlier in the match, and the Arsenal winger. In time Saka whipped in a corner kick for Harry Kane to score the first goal. It highlighted that dead-ball situations will be crucial in the upcoming tournament.

Relationship Not Broken

However, Bellingham was the story. The excellence of Rashford's cross for the second goal was a little lost in the ridiculousness of the Rogers substitution. After the final whistle, the focus was on Bellingham. The coach approached behind him and directed Bellingham towards the away supporters. Their relationship is not broken. Tuchel hasn't decided to give up on him at this stage. However, whether he is willing to grant him centre stage is not guaranteed.