For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures 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 natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against 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 play?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone 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 forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted 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 upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected 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 support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
