For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable 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 facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief 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 Theme
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly 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 stunning show of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled 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 serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
His decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? 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 influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against 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 path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural feeling,” he states about not playing in 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 always support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
