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In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.

Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.

The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”

The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.

The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.

The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”

Belief as the Theme

Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.

It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.

The Manager’s Choices and Team Unity

His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.

That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable 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 bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind 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 effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.

Building a Strong Unit

It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.

“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.

“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I love immensely being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”

Looking Ahead

What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.

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

“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”