In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against 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 one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one 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 forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. 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 environment is always 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. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
