For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select 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 question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as possible. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
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 qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – 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 Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision 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 something of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “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 campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the others of the lads do, 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 positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the boss has chosen 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 prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
