In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed as possible. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next 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 personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should 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 replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely coming here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. 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.”
