For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did 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.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay completely in the moment, 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, blocked 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 worked like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both 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 bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet 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 shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – 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 Choices and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the message he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called talented era team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
