For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding 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 fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – 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 team. 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 group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined 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 explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, 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, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
