For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status remained secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as possible. Which would benefit him during a hectic 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 against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA 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 do get the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support 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 retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking 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 gone on in the before or what is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
