For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status remained secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure 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 sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled 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, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – 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 Choices and Team Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or what is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
