For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move 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 man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts 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 faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going 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 remarkable show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit 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 less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered 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 hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I love 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 showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
