For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his standing remained secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
What 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 injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the before or what is going on in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always back 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 being the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
