In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer 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. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was especially good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved 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.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not only 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 play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
What should 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, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent job at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much coming 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 solid sufficient; the victories positive, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says 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 whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
