For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed secure after Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender 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 promising.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was unable to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost question that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his omission from Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to feature?”
What Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed as possible. Which would serve him well during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his planned transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the matches versus Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained 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 turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main reasons why the Football Association appointed him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the chance, we aim to display what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not only because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face 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, quite, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. 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 Decisions and Squad Unity
Tuchel’s choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having lost his place in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a coach builds a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an positive in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how egotistical and clique-ridden their so-called talented era squad was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.
“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or whatever is occurring in the season, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the players to actually embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I enjoy immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the lads do, too.”
Looking Ahead
That which Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Will the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he states about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
