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In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park 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 following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.

Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI 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 next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.

“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”

What Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.

The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.

The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”

Belief as the Central Idea

Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.

It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – 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 Choices and Team Dynamics

Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.

What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.

Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.

Creating a Strong Unit

Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.

“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.

“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”

Looking Ahead

That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.

“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. 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 days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”