For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie 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 last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked 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 more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – 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 lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural feeling,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
