For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer 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 man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games 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 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled 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 long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
What should not be overlooked – 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 replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called talented era team was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. I think each member has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
