For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again 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 eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at 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’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped 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 gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Unity
His decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want 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 place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, 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 players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
