In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection 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 important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer 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 trained like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – 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 more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Unity
His choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated 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 should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is going on in the season, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the guys 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 staff, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
