For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit 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 more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
