In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked 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 worked like a demon. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited 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 obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite 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 squad. However, 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 bonds. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
