For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s normal for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager coming in … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his planned move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the chance, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition 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, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and ignited Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
His choice to omit 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 footnote.
What should not be overlooked – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured 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 injured John Stones in September, despite the latter now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.
“There isn’t any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has happened in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I enjoy so much being here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll always support the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
