For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained secure following the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus 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 Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed 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 demon. Nobody 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 earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just 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 qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
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 cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called talented era team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
