For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key pick 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, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game 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, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in both and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play 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 get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit 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 more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which must 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 surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the before or what is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I love so much coming here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road 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 final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety 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 opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
