In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer 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 wasn’t great.
The manager selected 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 took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as possible. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works 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 gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
What 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 cover for the hurt 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 injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere 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 isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
