In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after the caretaker coach’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 approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, 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 trained like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor 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 shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. 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 pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, 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 replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved 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 debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
