For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically 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, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was especially good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
His decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad 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 gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at creating an spirit. 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 love so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
