In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul 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 young defender started in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son 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 sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported 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 kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come 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, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
