In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started 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 on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer 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 man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face 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, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. 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. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states 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 always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to 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 worrying.”
