In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer 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 man possessed. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
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 sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What must not be ignored – 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 injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved 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 essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. 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. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
