In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely 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 unused substitute, 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 second camp in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one 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 obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
What should not be ignored – 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 replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as 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 divided their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
