In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following 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 on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following 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 personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we aim to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Unity
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or what is going on in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
