For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer 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 first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away 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 natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. 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 following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support 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 fit have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
That which must not be ignored – 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 hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called talented era team was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at creating an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
