For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure following the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – 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 lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called talented era team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support 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 excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
