For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained secure after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely 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, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – 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 Squad Unity
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What should 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, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive 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 football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the players 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 steady enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
