For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain firmly 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 move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. 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 earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith 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, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated 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 footnote.
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 replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced 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 team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”