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 key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have been aware 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 young defender was selected in both and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not only 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 face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Each 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 obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is occurring in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, 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, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
