For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each 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 withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Unity
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – 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 replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, 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 positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called talented era team was. The talent was not in doubt; 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 initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to 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.”
