In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was particularly good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth 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 camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be 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, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost 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 former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability 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 animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it 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 arrive here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, 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. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I love so much coming here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
