In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact after Lee Carsley’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 sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games 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 games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor 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 qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited 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 forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost 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 latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the message he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided 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 fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” 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 put that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
