For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also 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 eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing 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 factors why the FA appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced 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 unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? 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. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it 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 closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment 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. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
