In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select 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 memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up 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 camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – 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 Dynamics
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
What should not be overlooked – 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 cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
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 wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; 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 tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
