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In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.

Then came the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.

The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.

“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”

The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.

The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.

The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”

Faith as the Theme

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

It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.

Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Dynamics

His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.

That which should not be overlooked – 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 injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.

This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.

Building a Strong Unit

It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.

“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.

“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”

Looking Ahead

What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.

“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.

“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”