In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic 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 against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned 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 internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – 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 Team Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated 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.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – 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 place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good 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 talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you put 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 always great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
