In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed 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 transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The young defender started in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Each 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 less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured 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 injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for however long 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 role at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against 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. Can the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be instead of worrying.”
