For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling 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 demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available 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.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called talented era 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 squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus 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 team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
