In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again 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 suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, 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?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed 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 internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite 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, despite the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or what is going on in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. 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 planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
