For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain completely in the present, as composed as possible. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against 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 camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith 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 sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the past or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches 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 embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
