In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained secure following the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn 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 started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the past or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players 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 players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
