In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. 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 Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games 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 difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor 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 framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the last camp, those who had gone 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 serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – 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 surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” 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 chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be positive and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
