🔗 Share this article

For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half 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 offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.

The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.

“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”

What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.

The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches 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 hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.

The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can do.”

Belief as the Theme

Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.

It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled 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 pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.

Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics

Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, 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 supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.

This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? 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 sway him. Being a good teammate will.

Building a Strong Unit

Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” 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. Whatever has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.

“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a excellent job at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly embrace that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”

Future Focus

What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.

“For me, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.

“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”