For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained secure after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked 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 trained like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one 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 obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition 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 kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I love so much being here and I know the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
