For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure following the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – remain completely in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody 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 over. The young defender started in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet 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 last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited 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 obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to truly embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely being here and I know the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
