In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
His decision to omit 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 afterthought.
That which should not be overlooked – 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 hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team 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 team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that superbly because I love immensely being here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
