For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against 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, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported 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 pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack 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 show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Unity
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported 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 side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
