For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp 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 five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply 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 framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which should 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 cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the squad. 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 forges bonds. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
