For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select 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 facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach 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 reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing 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 hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
What should 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 spot 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 fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come 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 football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. I think each member has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the initial progress 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 final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting 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’d rather be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
