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In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part 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 Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.

The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.

“I’d say it’s normal for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”

What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.

The following 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. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.

The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting 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 every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”

Belief as the Central Idea

Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going 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, quite, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding 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.

The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics

Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.

What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.

Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.

Creating a Strong Unit

Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.

“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.

“The environment is always great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that superbly because I love so much being here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”

Looking Ahead

What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.

“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.

“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”