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 selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
Tuchel started 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 fixtures 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 normal for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief 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 exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going 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, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available 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 more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations 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, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these are 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 football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, 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 opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
