In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom 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 great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son 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 sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague 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 atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the team continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
