In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to play?”
What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the present, as composed as possible. This approach would serve him well during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned move to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches 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 difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel around. The 25-year-old was selected in both and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a pastor 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 qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, quite, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Squad Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been made as a something 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 last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the former now being OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Creating a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his first game.
“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 past or whatever is occurring in the season, you put that behind. You come here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. I think each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than stressing.”
