For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, 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 upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era team 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 “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much 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 showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
