For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact following 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 approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable 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 facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going 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 stunning show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. 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 withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
His decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated 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.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition 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 stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered 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 determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. I think each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies 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, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
