For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure following the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – remain completely in the present, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
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 face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. 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 overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – 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 side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
