For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road 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 practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever 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 son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – 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 team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors 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 session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called talented era team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “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 put that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
