In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as possible. 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 against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially 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 supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so not 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
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – 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 place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
