In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half 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 Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures 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 any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer 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 demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in each and was especially good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – 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 framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration 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 forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be ignored – 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 cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds 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 it even a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical 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 set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants against 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 road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
