In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which 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 recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected 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 took in the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury 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, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust 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 manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
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 meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them 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 anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
