For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported 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 stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding 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 so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I love immensely coming here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
