In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly good 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 one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only 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 demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding 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 Unity
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the before or what is going on in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the others of the players do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, the first steps 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 displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
