In the case of Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, establishing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his status stayed intact following the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.
Then came Thomas Tuchel, and it is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Was Tuchel fancy him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t great.
Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s memorable FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“In my opinion it’s normal for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he always does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as he could be. This approach would benefit him during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches 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 gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win over Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this ability of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the gaffer has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we receive the opportunity, we aim to show what we can do.”
Belief as the Central Idea
Faith is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going 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, quite, the most stunning show of support in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Every one of the 24 who are available 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 more minor one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Unity
His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.
That which should not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to replace the injured Adam Wharton, despite 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, although the latter now being OK and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.
Here is how a manager builds a meritocracy, how he forges connections. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has essentially turned it into one for this session – and he sees an positive in the message he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Building a Brotherhood
Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly 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 talent was not in question; it was the atmosphere that held them back and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.
“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is occurring in the campaign, you leave that aside. You come here, these become your best friends, your teammates, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.
“The environment is always great when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have performed a excellent role at creating an spirit. Additionally, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. In my opinion every single person has accepted that superbly because I enjoy immensely coming here and I am sure the others of the lads feel the same, too.”
Future Focus
What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the cut and thrust they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.
“For me, anxiety is a natural feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the boss has opted for me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.
“So for me, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the teammates that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the best that I can be instead of stressing.”
