For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status remained intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed 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 planned move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not 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.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes 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 positive 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 former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I love so much coming here and I know the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
