For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against 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 matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith 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 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, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – 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 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 injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors 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 camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; 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 team before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, 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, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I love so much coming here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
