🔗 Share this article

In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at Euro 2024, cementing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his standing remained intact after Lee Carsley’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 summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.

The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.

“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”

What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as composed 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 following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against 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 difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.

The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one 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 child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.

It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. 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 forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.

The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics

Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.

What must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – 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 spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.

This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind 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 made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.

Building a Strong Unit

Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.

“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the guys 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 players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely being here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”

Looking Ahead

What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.

“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.

“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”