In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed 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 demon. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play 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 remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one 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 Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic 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 enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
