For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed as possible. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. 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 time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the gaffer has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we want to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son 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 stunning show of support 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 kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or what is going on in the season, you put that aside. 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 backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects against Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal feeling,” he states about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
