In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup 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, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move 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 been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in each 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 supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply 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 demonstration of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – 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 cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The talent 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 “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming 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 crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
