For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept 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 promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches 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 camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support 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 not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. 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 it even a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with perfect 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 talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
