In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented 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 known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
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 traveling to Riga to face 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 last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. 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 obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
That which must 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 injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “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 season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. I think each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has opted for me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
