In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the starting XI 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 following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games 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 camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition 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 remarkable demonstration of confidence 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 available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love immensely coming here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
