🔗 Share this article

For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.

Then came the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.

The manager started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road 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 normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”

The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer 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 known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in both and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.

The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”

Belief as the Central Idea

Faith is the focus – and not only 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 shaped it all with his player choices.

It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.

Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Unity

His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a something of a afterthought.

That which must not be ignored – 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 cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.

Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.

Building a Brotherhood

It was with perfect 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 so-called golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.

“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.

“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love immensely coming here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”

Looking Ahead

That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.

“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.

“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than worrying.”