In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play 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 demonstration of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each 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 obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.
What 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 replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
