For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially 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 supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What should not be ignored – 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 injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
