In the case of Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Selhurst Park centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an unused substitute, it did not look promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the next game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches versus 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 any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “As you’d expect, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was what he always does – stay firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he won Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in each and was particularly impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary 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 comments. “Whenever we do get the chance, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the theme – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one 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 forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a afterthought.
That which must 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 cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost 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 OK and in the group. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an positive in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Being a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and divided 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 “close-knit group” within the team before his initial match.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has gone on in the before or what is going on in the campaign, you put that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a excellent job at creating an spirit. Then again, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I know the rest of the players feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that stirs 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 thrillers. Will the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he states about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many moments on this earth. I’d rather be positive and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”
