In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed 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 following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially good in the five-nil 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 Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited 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 more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – 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 surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
