For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall 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 rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn 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 promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … 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 moment, 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 following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What should not be ignored – 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 replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the before or whatever is going on in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
