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In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.

Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.

Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.

“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”

What Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.

The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.

The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”

Belief as the Theme

Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.

It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.

The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity

His choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.

That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.

This is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.

Building a Strong Unit

It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.

“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.

“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent role at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly embrace that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”

Future Focus

That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.

“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.

“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”