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In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.

Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.

Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road 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 states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”

The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented 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 demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was especially good in the five-nil 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 one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”

Belief as the Central Idea

Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition 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 remarkable 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 available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.

The Manager’s Choices and Squad Unity

His decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.

That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – 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 lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.

This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.

Building a Strong Unit

Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.

“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is occurring in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.

“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”

Looking Ahead

That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.

“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.

“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”