For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from 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 exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard 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 impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding 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.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – 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 overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. 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 squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “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 campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I love so much being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
