For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the gaffer has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone 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.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. 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 squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
