In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association 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 show what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed 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 available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
His choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – 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 hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
