In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following 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 difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly 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 squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind 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 made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I love so much being here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
