For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate 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 wasn’t promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. 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 earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack 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 show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie 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 traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
