In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was especially good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, 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 pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Each 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 forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a something 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 late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. 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 admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? 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. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
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 clique-ridden their so-called talented era team was. The talent 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 squad before his initial match.
“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 before or what is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
