In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status remained secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face 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 confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported 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 team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. 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 made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment 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 explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. 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 always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
