For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody 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 time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet 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 shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era 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 “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
