For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the present, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented 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 demon. Nobody 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 started in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie 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 camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one 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.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by 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 retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
