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 first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
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 included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported 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 internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was particularly good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son 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 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 previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though 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, although the former now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled 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 team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or what is occurring in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
