For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure 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 certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against 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 hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Belief 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 friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one 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 obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in 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 knock.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the past or what is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
