For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it 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 certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable 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 eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him 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 matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. 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 won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling 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, quite, the most stunning show of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding 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 Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
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 last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
