In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain completely in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
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 late call-up 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 stepped up for the injured 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 knock.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always great 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 depends on the players to truly buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, 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 displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
