In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager 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 included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly 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 ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit 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.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite 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 manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. 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 positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if 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 planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
