For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key pick under the previous manager, and his status remained intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith 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 next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must not be ignored – 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 cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
