For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced 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 proposed transfer 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. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition 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 player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – 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 injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the manager 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 planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
