For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain 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 Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA 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 receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. 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 group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the past or what is going on in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
