In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part 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 Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following 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. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face 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 demonstration of confidence 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 forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained 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 meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era team 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 “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
