For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned 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 trained like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – 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.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
His choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – 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 side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or what is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
