In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled 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 unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road 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 natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. 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 won Tuchel around. The young defender started in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – 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 traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not 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 Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – 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 cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved 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 essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
