For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, 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 proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender started in both and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one 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 forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a something of a footnote.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt 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 unavailable John Stones in September, although the former 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 creates a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even 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 influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the players to actually buy into that. I think each member has bought into that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
