For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. 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 around. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague 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 self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the past or what is going on in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the rest of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against 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 pulse‑quickeners. Can the team build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
