For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status remained intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus 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 difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not 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 Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is going on in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. I think each member has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, 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 chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
