For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed secure after Lee Carsley’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 offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son 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, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – 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 Choices and Team Dynamics
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter 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 meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these are 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 players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to truly buy into that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
