In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor 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 qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led 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.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured 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.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, 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 believes in an positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t 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 campaign, you put that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus 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. Can the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if 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 days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
