In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. 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 won Tuchel around. The young defender started in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the team 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 essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former 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 atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or what is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly buy into that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I love so much coming here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road 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.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
