For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half 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 summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick 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 Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus 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 difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was especially good in the 5-0 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 a primary factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
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 hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced 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 unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent 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 “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the past or what is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I love immensely being here and I know the rest of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on 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 being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
