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In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.

Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.

Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”

What Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.

The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.

The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”

Belief as the Theme

Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.

It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – 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 Team Unity

Tuchel’s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.

That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.

This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.

Building a Strong Unit

Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.

“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.

“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”

Looking Ahead

What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.

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

“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. 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 rather than worrying.”