For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained secure after the caretaker coach’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 Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender 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 selected 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 Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed 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 known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What must 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 hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
