For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status remained intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of confidence 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 available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” 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 occurring in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for however long 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 comes down to the players to actually buy into that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
