In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained secure after Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer 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 personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face 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 shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Unity
His decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which 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 replace 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 stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? 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.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the before or what is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
