In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty 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 remained secure following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against 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 difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding 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 FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face 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 support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each 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 less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace 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 lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
