For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled 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 unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – remain firmly in the present, as balanced as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned 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 worked like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary reasons why the FA appointed him. “I think what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply 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 shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each 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 Choices and Squad Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise back to fitness, has been made as a bit 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 late call-up in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. 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 that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation squad was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
