For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches 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 hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not only 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 qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. 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 obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What must 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 cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you battle 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 staff, have done a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
