In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
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 fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up 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 known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going 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, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something 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 last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though 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 latter now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I love so much being here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
