For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting 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 Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership 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 selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up 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 personal doubts. 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 was selected in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling 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, simply, the most stunning demonstration 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 fit have been kept – 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.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up 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 knock.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the before or what is going on in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the rest of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
