For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of self-doubt was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had excelled for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his debut in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t 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 matches versus Andorra away 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 normal for every player to practically doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as composed as he could be. This approach 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 reported with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.
The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of empowering them; it was a primary factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we receive the chance, we aim to display what we can do.”
Faith as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling 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 stunning show of support in the players from the previous camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – 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 Decisions and Squad Dynamics
His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is likewise fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.
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 replace the hurt 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 latter now being OK and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.
This is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped golden generation team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the squad before his first game.
“There isn’t 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 campaign, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players 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 fantastic job at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that excites the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team build on the intensity they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, fretting can be a futile effort. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than worrying.”
