🔗 Share this article

For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status remained secure following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.

Then came the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.

Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.

“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”

The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.

The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches versus 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 games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.

The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of belief 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 theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply 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, quite, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each 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.

The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics

Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.

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 replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept 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 compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.

Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.

Building a Strong Unit

It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The ability 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 initial match.

“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the past or what is occurring in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.

“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”

Future Focus

What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.

“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.

“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”