For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept 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.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory 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. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as possible. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next 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. Nobody would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old was selected in each 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 knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – 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 next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of support in the players from the last camp, those who had traveled 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 long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. 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 camp – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has happened in the past or what is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the team continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by being the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
