In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith 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 traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – 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.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
His choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach 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 question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building 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 self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or what is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as 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 excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
