In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next 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 matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet 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 framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the last camp, 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 long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; 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 team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the past or what is going on in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these become your best friends, 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 players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
