For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager started 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 included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as possible. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked 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 turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. 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.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I love so much being here and I am sure the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
