For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches 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 every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches versus 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 hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie 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 get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the team 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 camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
