In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact after the caretaker coach’s spell 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 offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer 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 worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. 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 pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, 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 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 debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or what is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at creating 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 love immensely coming here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
