For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely 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 wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
What 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 club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games 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 period when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play 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 stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. 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 forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Unity
His choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led 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 must 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 injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the past or what is occurring in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
