In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. 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 standing stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in each and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to display 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 meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured 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 forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, 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 upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden 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 fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
