In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding 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
His decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point 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 does not want 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, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity 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 moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
