For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as possible. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not 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.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up 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 came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up 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 atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for as long as 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 excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
