For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was natural. The Selhurst Park defender had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice pick under Gareth Southgate, and his standing remained secure after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.
Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in the offseason of 2021. Guéhi definitely remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom swept Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.
The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which included the fixtures against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his omission from Albania. “As you’d expect, new manager arriving … it’s unclear what the team’s going to be, who knows who’s going to feature?”
The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – remain firmly in the moment, as balanced as possible. Which would benefit him during a dramatic end to the offseason window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.
The next day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is hard not to see that camp and those games as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The young defender was selected in both and was especially impressive in the five-nil win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.
The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of supporting them; it was a primary reasons why the FA hired him. “In my view what the manager has done is show a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”
Faith as the Central Idea
Trust is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.
It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last camp, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s reign. Each of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was forced to pull out on Monday because of a less serious one.
Tuchel’s Decisions and Team Dynamics
Tuchel’s choice to omit the fit-again Jude Bellingham has dominated the conversation – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been made as a something of a afterthought.
What should not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who stepped up for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the group. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knee injury.
This is how a coach builds a performance-based culture, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the unit supporting the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.
Creating 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, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation team was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that limited them and Tuchel is set to get this right. He was talking about a “close-knit group” within the team 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 before or whatever is going on in the campaign, you put that aside. You arrive here, these become your best friends, your colleagues, the guys that you battle with for however long you’re here.
“The atmosphere is always great when we’re here. The football association, previous managers and the players themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it depends on the players to truly embrace that. In my opinion each member has bought into that brilliantly because I enjoy so much coming here and I know the others of the lads do, too.”
Future Focus
That which Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the road to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Will the side continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts go to Guéhi.
“In my case, worrying is a normal feeling,” he says about being benched in Albania. “But I was selected in that group. It means that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.
“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You don’t have many days on this earth. I’d rather be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by striving to be the best that I can be rather than stressing.”
