For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it 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 definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – remain completely in the present, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack 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 each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each 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.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, 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 lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway 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, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always support 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 focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
