In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is important to recall 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 fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road 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 natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration 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 fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept 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 forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. 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 effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys 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 job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
