For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his status remained intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 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 factors why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister 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 qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent role at fostering an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
