For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed secure after 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 Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented 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 worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against 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 factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet 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 framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace 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 injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the unit 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 upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, 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 victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
