For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the message he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in doubt; 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 isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely being here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance 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 thrillers. Can the team continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
