In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure 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 transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next 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 been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. 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 obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot 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 group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much being 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 against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back 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 assist the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
