In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also 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 his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain completely 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 planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
What 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 cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their so-called talented era squad 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 team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly buy into that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
