In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status remained secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure 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 Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware 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 especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief 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 friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited 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 forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – 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 surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
