In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed secure following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet 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 player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit 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.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something 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 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 unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. 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 discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era 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 explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a excellent role at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has chosen 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 only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
