For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status remained secure following the caretaker coach’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 Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – 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 more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which 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 replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. 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 forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their so-called talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
