In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel 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 took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned 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 worked like a demon. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in each and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – 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 more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team 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 debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was 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 divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
