In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on 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 exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games 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 hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
