In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was particularly good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of belief in every single one 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 theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child 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 next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, 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 football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has bought into that superbly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
