In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against 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 natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain completely in the present, as balanced as possible. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed 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 trained like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going 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 stunning demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are available have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
What must 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 injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward 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 positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the individuals to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked 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 personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
