For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part 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 offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus 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 normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not 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 Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted 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 signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
