For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the present, as composed as possible. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. 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 forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His choice to omit the returned 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 something of a afterthought.
That which should not be overlooked – 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 place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your teammates, 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 performed a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
