For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status remained secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as possible. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, simply, the most remarkable show of support in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit 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 less serious one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Unity
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
What must not be overlooked – 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 injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind 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 session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called talented era team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There isn’t any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually embrace that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much coming here and I know the others of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley fans. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team continue the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”
