For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark 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 stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did 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 wasn’t great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported 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 personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition 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 remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – 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.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost 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 squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “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 behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
