For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move 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 camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play 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 show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. 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 obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Unity
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called talented era team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still support 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 help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
