In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it 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 remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move 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. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding 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.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured 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.
This is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I love so much being here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
