In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed secure after Lee Carsley’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 sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding 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 Choices and Squad Unity
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing 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 “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting 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 being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
