For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable 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 his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer 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 demon. Not a soul 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 time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one 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 pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a something 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 injured Adam Wharton, even though 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 fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided 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 fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or what is occurring in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I’d rather be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
