For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going 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, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Each 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 pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition 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 kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured 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.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting 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 focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
