For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was particularly good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated 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.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want 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, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or what is going on in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
