For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up 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 internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration 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 available have been retained – so not 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 Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt 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 latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set 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 says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I love so much being here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
