In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it 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 certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … 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 always does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. 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 forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should 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 hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot 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 group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road 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.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
