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In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker 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 the previous manager, and his status remained secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.

Enter the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership 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 great.

Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”

What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.

The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known 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 won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.

The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”

Belief as the Central Idea

Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son 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 next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.

It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.

The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity

His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated 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 footnote.

What should not be ignored – 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 hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite 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 manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted 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 influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.

Creating a Brotherhood

Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.

“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or what is going on in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.

“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. I think each member has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”

Looking Ahead

That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.

“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.

“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”