For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically doubt 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, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated 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 ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players 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 backroom team, have done a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team 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 group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
