For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following 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 been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone 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 serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
His choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered 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 former now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. I think each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing 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 excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
