For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as possible. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus 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 difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved 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 achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. 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 forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called talented era team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you put that behind. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I know the rest of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” 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 still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
