For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s spell 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 transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled 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 wasn’t promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each 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 less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them 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 happened in the before or what is occurring in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
