For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed secure following the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented 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 trained like a man possessed. Nobody 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 won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed 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 chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding 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.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
His decision to omit 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 made as a something of a afterthought.
What must 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 surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the past or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you battle 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 staff, have done a excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
