In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which 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 fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one 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 pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit 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 late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you put that behind. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to truly buy into that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, 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 final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
