For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet 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, simply, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
What should 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 cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered 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 builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent role at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. I think each member has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
