For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one 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 forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Unity
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent role at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much being here and I know the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing 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’d rather be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
