For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his status remained secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face 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 confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which must 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, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in 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 spoke candidly in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the past or what is going on in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You don’t have many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
