In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status remained secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following 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 known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly good in the five-nil 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 a primary factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – 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 more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – 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 lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. 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 compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize 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 signal he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set 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 says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
