In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained 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 pivotal moment 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 contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot 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 group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being 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, revealing how egotistical and divided their so-called talented era team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the past or what is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. I think each member has accepted that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural feeling,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
