In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed 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 sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
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 friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad 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 likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What 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 injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the rest of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
