In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender 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, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled 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, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked 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 worked like a demon. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face 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 previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – 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 Team Unity
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited 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.”
