For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up 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 hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face 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 framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one 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.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Unity
His choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
What should not be overlooked – 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 cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize 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. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
