For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained intact following Lee Carsley’s spell in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look great.
Tuchel selected Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for any footballer to practically doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his omission against Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – stay completely in the present, as composed as possible. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in each and was especially good in the five-nil win against Serbia, even adding his first international goal.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main reasons why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the gaffer has achieved is show a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Whenever we receive the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are available have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.
The Manager’s Choices and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
What should 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 cover for the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being OK and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, 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 believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a supportive colleague will.
Building a Brotherhood
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension 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 colleagues, the players that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent role at fostering an atmosphere. Then again, it depends on the individuals to truly buy into that. I think each member has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the wins positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So for me, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”
