In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
Tuchel started 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 his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time 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 first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
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 play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called talented era team 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 team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. I think each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
