In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter 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 offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the starting XI 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 following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next 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. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith 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. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet 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, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not 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 Team Dynamics
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
