For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who is 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 benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. 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 started in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the Football Association hired him. “I think what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Trust is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child 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 qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited 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 obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a supportive colleague will.
Creating a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered 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 determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
