In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach 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 brought another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against 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 sustained an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not just 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 qualifying tie 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 last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
