In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against 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 games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – 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 more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “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 put that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
