In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition 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 player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be 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 lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or what is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. I think each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
