For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi certainly recalled that. Was Tuchel fancy 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 unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during his club’s historic FA Cup final win against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence from Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to be, who knows who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay firmly in the present, 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, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a man possessed. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of empowering 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 each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can achieve.”
Belief as the Theme
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the child of a church minister 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 qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the previous camp, those who had traveled 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 forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the omission of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having lost his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. 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 group. However, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here 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 recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he sees an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Strong Unit
It was with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The ability was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was speaking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any tension between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. No matter has gone on in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You come here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually buy into that. In my opinion each member has bought into that superbly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the wins positive, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Will the side build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I’d rather be positive and focused and assist the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
