For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. 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 remained secure following the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving 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 fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against 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 exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as composed as possible. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not 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.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to omit 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.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place 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 OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or what is occurring in the campaign, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent job at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
