For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed 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 trained like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or what is going on in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”