In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move 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 man possessed. 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 earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in both and was especially 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 supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister 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 qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the team 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 debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called talented era team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies 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 only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
