For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against 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 every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed 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 joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, 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 available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
What should not be ignored – 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 replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered 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 latter now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing 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 set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or what is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
