In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered 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 almost question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was particularly good in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding 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 Football Association appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just 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 face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one 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 forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved 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 debate? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” 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 occurring in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this earth. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
