In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach 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 fresh leadership 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 next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. 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 both and was particularly good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face 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 squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not 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 Unity
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team 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 gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you go to war 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 backroom team, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected 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 personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
