In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced 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 transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His choice to omit 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 something of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager 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 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 message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I love so much coming here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
