In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly 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, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous camp, 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 pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook 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 bit of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – 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 side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway 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 teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called talented era team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking 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, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
