For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his first game 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 matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed 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 personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Unity
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
What must not be ignored – 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 hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or what is occurring in the campaign, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent role at creating an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to truly buy into that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I love immensely being here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
