In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the manager has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not 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.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for 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 unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called talented era team was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the team continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the manager has opted for me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll always back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
