For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission 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 exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available 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 Decisions and Squad Unity
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want 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 spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors 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 message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. 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 finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
