In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure after the caretaker coach’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the starting XI for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in each and was especially good in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of faith in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the child 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 next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled 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 long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been made as a bit of a footnote.
That which must not be overlooked – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the team supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this camp – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has gone on in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that behind. You come here, these are your best friends, your teammates, the guys that you battle 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 excellent role at creating an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to actually embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I know the others of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
