For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key 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 important to recall 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 fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering 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 each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face 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 framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone 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 forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent job at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I love so much being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
