In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact following Lee Carsley’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 sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, 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 proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding 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 FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. 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 obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Unity
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which 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 replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” 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 gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I love immensely being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path 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.
“For me, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
