For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child 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 qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost 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 fit 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 forges bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era 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 talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you leave 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 always great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side continue 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 selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
