In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status remained secure following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept 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 next game, against Latvia, again 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 suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son 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 sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured 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 squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation team 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 speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I know the rest of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has opted for me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
