In the case of 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 key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as possible. 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 next 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 known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. 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 obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Unity
His decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be ignored – 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 injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered 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 latter 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 coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex 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 determined to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”