For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel 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 facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked 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 demon. Not a soul would have known 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 won Tuchel around. The young defender started in each and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
His choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
That which must 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, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved 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 turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
