For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. 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 standing remained secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against 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 difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point 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 against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one 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 forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition 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, although the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“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 past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
