In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained secure following Lee Carsley’s spell 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 summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel selected 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 matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. 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 both and was especially good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each 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.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition 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 came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors 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 positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” 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 going on in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these are 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 FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
