For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership 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 wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer 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 hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith 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 manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not only 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 face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. 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 Choices and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What must 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, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained 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 exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the unit supporting 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 essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely being here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
