For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender 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, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as possible. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move 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 demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt 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 OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? 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. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding 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 ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
