For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – remain completely 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 proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported 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 personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
His decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – 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 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. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
