For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock 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 states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move 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 demon. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I love so much being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path 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 feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
