For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported 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 camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – 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 Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – 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 replace the hurt 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 injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
