For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained secure after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games 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 pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which should not be overlooked – 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 cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. 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 great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
