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For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.

Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.

The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.

“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”

The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned 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 man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing 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 manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”

Belief as the Central Idea

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

It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.

The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity

His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.

What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.

Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.

Building a Strong Unit

Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called talented era team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.

“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.

“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent role at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”

Looking Ahead

That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.

“For me, worrying is a normal feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.

“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”