For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, 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 fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have known 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 won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
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 Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the opportunity, we aim to show 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 devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit 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 more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a afterthought.
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 replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
