In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed 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 worked like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in both and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting 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. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding 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 Squad Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
