For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained secure following the caretaker coach’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 sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept 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 promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason 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 worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face 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 demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
