For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager 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 facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer 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 internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister 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 shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one 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 withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely coming here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days 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 best that I can be instead of stressing.”
