In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained secure after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving 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 next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned 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 internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts 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 gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child 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 next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Unity
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up 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 kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “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 leave that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
