For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status remained intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel started 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 included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever 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 child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Unity
His choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with perfect 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 talented era team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent job at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than worrying.”