In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus 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 matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – 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.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What must not be ignored – 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 cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered 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 latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
