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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 Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.

Then came the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.

Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.

“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”

What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.

The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus 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 camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was especially good in the five-nil win over 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 a primary factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can do.”

Belief as the Theme

Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister 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 player choices.

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. 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 withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.

The Manager’s Choices and Squad Unity

His decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a afterthought.

What must 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 hurt 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 unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.

This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.

Building a Strong Unit

Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.

“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.

“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”

Looking Ahead

That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.

“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.

“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”