For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after Lee Carsley’s spell 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 Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra away 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 question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed 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 trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against 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 showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing 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 for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. 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.”
