For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The following 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 been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child 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 ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Unity
His decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I love immensely being here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
