For 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 Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just 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 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 remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one 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 forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the unit 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 essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “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 put that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
