For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available 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 more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” 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 past or what is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I know the rest of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
