For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely 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, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child 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 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 gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What must not be ignored – 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 cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – 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
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the season, you leave that behind. 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 environment is always positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that superbly because I love so much coming here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
