For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked 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 worked like a demon. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. 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 less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, 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 essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating 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 golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity 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 what is going on in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I love so much being here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
