For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure 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 offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody 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 around. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust 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 next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What must not be overlooked – 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 cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting 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 camp – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
