For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought 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 started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, 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 known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. 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 decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit 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 unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back 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 anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies 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 planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
