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 pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
Tuchel started 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 matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face 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 squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered 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 latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades 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 former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the path 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 normal human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
