In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn 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 promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory 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. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following 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 known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind 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 turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s 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 what is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I love so much being here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting 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’d rather be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
