For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure following the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
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 exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. 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.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept 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 withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the before or what is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I love so much coming here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus 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 road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
