For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed 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. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was especially good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone 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 obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Unity
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt 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 unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to recognize 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 delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The talent 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 first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
