In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked 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 demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence 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 former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “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 put that aside. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players 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 backroom team, have done a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I love so much being here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
