In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part 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 Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition 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 get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each 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 less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission 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 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, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
