In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was 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, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain 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 move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition 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, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. 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 obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt 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 unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
