For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
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 FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
What must 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 replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or what 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 however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this chance and if I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
