In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status remained secure following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. Which 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 joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary 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. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – 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 replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. I think each member has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
