In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which 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 games versus 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 hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust 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 going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit 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 Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
