For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay completely 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 proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team supporting 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 essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I love immensely being here and I know the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
