For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status remained intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody 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 25-year-old started in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered 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 OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here 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 bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
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 divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the past or what is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are 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 squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
