For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet 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 player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning 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 retained – so not 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.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
His decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made 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 late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. 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 don’t have many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
