In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son 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 qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt 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 injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states 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 whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
