In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported 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 been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus 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 side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
