For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter the new boss, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI 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 following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained 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 states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus 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 hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding 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 reasons why the FA appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face 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 demonstration 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 serious injuries. 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 returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also 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 missed – is how he has supported 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 retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Being 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 colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you battle 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 performed a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, 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 last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
