In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. 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 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 coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith 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 exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured 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 knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague 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, revealing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team 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 past or what is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
