In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as possible. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only 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 play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit 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 decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
