For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact following the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi then did was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has achieved is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith 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 traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth 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 previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His decision to overlook the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your closest allies, your teammates, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories positive, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if 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 planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
