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 key pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact after Lee Carsley’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 Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership 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 selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported 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 known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. 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 withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era squad 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 “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I love immensely being here and I know the rest of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
