For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained intact following Lee Carsley’s spell 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 transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer 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 gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked 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 less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Unity
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. 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 teammates, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
