In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his standing remained secure following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the starting XI 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 next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender 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 knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, 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 retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be 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 lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? 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. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or what is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I love so much being here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
