For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact following Lee Carsley’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 approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer 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 uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling 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 stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Unity
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – 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 spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or whatever is going on in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says 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 playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
