For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn 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 promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the unit supporting 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 camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against 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 last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always 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 excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
