In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which 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 been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was especially good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face 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 remarkable show of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, 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 believes in an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing 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 get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, 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 players themselves, the backroom team, have performed 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 bought into that superbly because I love immensely being here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. 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, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
