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For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.

Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.

The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.

“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”

The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the present, as composed 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 proposed move to Liverpool.

The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.

The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”

Belief as the Theme

Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.

It was, quite, the most stunning show of support in the players from the last camp, 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.

Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics

His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated 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.

What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.

Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.

Building a Strong Unit

Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.

“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.

“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”

Future Focus

That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.

“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected 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 personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”