In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed secure 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 coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer 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 known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so not 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.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up 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 manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say 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 come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, 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 belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting 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 positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
