For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status remained secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain completely 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 proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against 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 matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play 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 demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. 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 obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion 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 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 spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road 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.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the manager has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
