In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom 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 promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware 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 won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – 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 more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept 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 compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, 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 believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The talent 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 “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
