For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact after 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 sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier 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 last get‑together, 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 long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice 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 bit of a afterthought.
That which should 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 cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or what is going on in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I love so much being here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
