For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer 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 demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 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 reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play 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 stunning show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path 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 final words 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 signifies that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
