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In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.

Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer 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, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.

The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.

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

The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.

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

The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can achieve.”

Faith as the Theme

Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth 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 previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one 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 forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.

Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics

His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.

That which must not be ignored – 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 replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.

This is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors 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 session – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.

Creating a Strong Unit

It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.

“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players 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 players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. 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 know the others of the lads do, too.”

Looking Ahead

That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.

“For me, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.

“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”