For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only 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 play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled 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 serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent 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 ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered 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 fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking 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 campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
