In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always 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 club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition 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, simply, the most stunning show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled 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 more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot 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 fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided 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 get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you put that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus 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 thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
