For Marc Guéhi, a momentary flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a key selection under the previous manager, and his status stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.
The manager started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was unable to select him for his second camp in June, which took in the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, it’s unknown who is going to play?”
The thing Guéhi then did was what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move 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 been aware about any personal doubts. It is difficult 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 was selected in each and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we want to display what we can do.”
Belief as the Theme
Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a exhibition at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to play Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.
It was, simply, the most remarkable demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.
The Manager’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent 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 missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the unavailable John Stones in September, despite the latter now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Here is how a coach creates a performance-based culture, how he forges connections. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a debate? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Reputations will not sway him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his ex England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation team 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 “brotherhood” 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. No matter has gone on in the before or what is occurring in the season, you put that behind. You arrive here, these are your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The environment is consistently great when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a excellent role at fostering an spirit. Additionally, it depends on the individuals to actually buy into that. I think each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely coming here and I am sure the rest of the players do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team build on the cut and thrust they showed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, anxiety is a normal feeling,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this chance and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this planet. I prefer to be excited and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by being the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
