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In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status remained secure following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.

Then came the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.

The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.

“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”

What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.

The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.

The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can achieve.”

Faith as the Theme

Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.

It was, quite, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.

The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity

His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a afterthought.

What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.

Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.

Building a Brotherhood

It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.

“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or what is occurring in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.

“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”

Looking Ahead

What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.

“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.

“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”