In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status remained intact following the caretaker coach’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 approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next 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 Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – 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 play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. 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 more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Unity
His decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What should 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, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. 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 atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, 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 am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
